Serena Williams Admits She Turned To Injections To Lose Over 30 Pounds

Serena Williams has opened up about a health journey that has reshaped both her body and her outlook on life.

The 43-year-old tennis icon revealed that she turned to a GLP-1 medication to support her weight loss goals after years of frustration postpartum.

Now down 31 pounds, she says she feels lighter, healthier, and more confident than ever.

For a woman who built her legacy on discipline, grit, and pushing her body to the limits, Serena Williams was surprised by how difficult weight management became after childbirth.

Following the birth of her first daughter, Alexis Olympia, in 2017, her body no longer responded the way it used to.

“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 explained in a chat with PEOPLE Magazine.

Despite her tireless efforts, the results refused to come. For the 23-time Grand Slam champion, this was foreign territory.

She shared, “I had never taken shortcuts in my career and always worked really hard. I know what it takes to be the best. So it was frustrating to do the same things and see no change on the scale or the way my body looked.”

When she gave birth to her second daughter, Adira River, in 2023, history repeated itself.

She initially shed weight quickly, but then progress stalled.

“I never lost another pound,” she quipped, admitting she felt stuck and unsure if she could ever return to a place where she felt comfortable in her body.

Determined to find a new approach, Williams decided to explore medical options.

She partnered with Ro, a direct-to-patient healthcare company, to try a GLP-1 treatment. GLP-1 medications, which include widely known brands like Ozempic and Mounjaro, help regulate appetite and satiety by working in the brain.

Still, the decision wasn’t easy. “I did a lot of research on it. I was like, 'is this a shortcut? What are the benefits? What are not the benefits?' I really wanted to dive into it before I just did it,” she admitted.

Her hesitations mirrored those of many people considering the medication, given its controversy.

Eventually, Williams consulted with a doctor and began weekly injections in early 2024, after she finished breastfeeding.

“They were super supportive and it was easy to get the medication,” she said. “I lost over 31 pounds using my GLP-1 and I was really excited about that weight loss.”

Beyond the number on the scale, Williams says the biggest change has been how her body feels.

“I just can do more. I’m more active. My joints don’t hurt as much,” she explained.

Even simple tasks became easier, as she shared, “Something as simple as just getting down is a lot easier for me. And I do it a lot faster. I feel like I have a lot of energy and it's great. I just feel pretty good about it.”

Her weight loss, she emphasized, didn’t replace the healthy lifestyle she has always maintained. Instead, it complemented it.

“GLP-1 helped me enhance everything I was already doing—eating healthy and working out, whether as a professional athlete at the top level of tennis or just going to the gym every day,” she noted.

Transparency has always been Williams' style, both on and off the court, and she wanted her fans to hear her story directly.

“So I think that it’s important for everyone to hear my story. And I feel like there's a lot of people that can relate,” Williams said, adding that asking for help doesn’t mean taking a shortcut.

Despite the transformation, Serena Williams insists her confidence has never hinged on the number on the scale.

“Weight loss should never really change your self image,” she stressed.

She also acknowledged that women often face judgment, regardless of their size, a reality she has experienced firsthand throughout her public life.

“I always felt comfortable at any size, whether I was heavier or not,” she said. However, she also admitted her body struggled with the extra pounds after pregnancy. “I had pain in my joints and pain in different areas because of the extra weight that I'm not used to carrying since I had children.”

Williams clarified that there was “nothing wrong” with the size she was before, but emphasized that she wanted to be where she personally felt best. “I just knew that I wanted to be where I felt comfortable.”

As a mother of two young daughters, teaching body positivity is equally important to her.

“Having millions of people commenting on my body growing up in public, it's really important to teach them to be confident at any size, just like I try to be,” she explained.

Reflecting on her own public scrutiny, she said self-love matters most, noting, “You’ll never get that moment back. You don't want to judge yourself when you're just always showing up as your best.”

With her health back on track, Williams isn’t slowing down.

She plans to continue using her GLP-1 medication as needed while maintaining her love for fitness.

The sports icon is currently training for a half marathon and still dedicates time to her “favorite place to be,” the gym, often sharing workout selfies with her fans.

Even with her transformation, she remains grounded in self-acceptance.

“I feel really good and healthy. I feel light physically and light mentally,” she said with pride.