Serena Williams has found herself at the center of a heated debate after openly revealing that she turned to weight-loss medication to shed more than 30 pounds.
The 43-year-old tennis icon, who has inspired millions with her dominance on the court, faced immediate criticism online after announcing her new partnership with GLP-1 medicine company Ro.
On Thursday, the brand shared a joint Instagram post showing Williams injecting herself with the weekly treatment. In the video, the 23-time Grand Slam champion explained that the medicine was something her body “needed” following the birth of her two daughters.
Her candid admission, however, drew sharp backlash. Many fans argued that Williams‘ endorsement could set a harmful precedent, particularly for young athletes and women struggling with body image.
One commenter wrote, “As an athlete and an influencer, it’s a shame that you’re reiterating the narrative that you need to take medication to be healthy and achieve an acceptable standard of beauty. This video made me really sad and disappointed.” Another added, “‘After kids this is the medicine my body needed.’ Needed? Fantastic, now we can undo all the progression we made on letting women know it’s ok to take time, recover and get back in shape or not to.”
A divisive moment for an inspirational figure
For decades, Williams has been celebrated for her strength, resilience, and groundbreaking achievements in a sport that has not always been welcoming to women of color. That legacy, critics argue, makes her decision to promote weight-loss injections especially fraught.
“The messaging here is so wrong coming from an athlete like her and very dangerous for society,” one fan commented, while another said, “You can put whatever you want in your body but let’s not call it healthcare! This is so disturbing to me coming from a former elite athlete.”
A fifth person went further, calling it a “terrible message to our youth,” particularly young female athletes who may view Williams as a role model.
Despite the criticism, Williams insists she made the decision for her own health and wellbeing. Speaking to People earlier this week, she said, “I feel great. I feel really good and healthy. I feel light physically and light mentally.”
The four-time Olympic gold medalist revealed that her weight struggles began in 2017 after delivering her eldest daughter, Alexis Olympia, via emergency C-section.
“I never was able to get to the weight I needed to be, no matter what I did, no matter how much I trained,” she admitted. “It was crazy because I’d never been in a place like that in my life where I worked so hard, ate so healthy and could never get down to where I needed to be at.”
Williams said she researched Ro extensively before beginning treatment six months after the birth of her second daughter, Adira, in August 2023.
While her openness has sparked outrage in some circles, it has also fueled broader conversations about postpartum health, the pressures of body image, and the increasing normalization of celebrity endorsements for weight-loss medications.
Whether fans view her choice as empowering honesty or a harmful example, Williams‘ revelation underscores the complex intersection of sports, wellness, and cultural expectations around women’s bodies.
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