Serena Williams' Regret About Her Tennis Days Revealed As She Now Feels ‘Healthiest’

Serena Williams is not holding back about using weight loss medication. 

The former pro tennis player spoke about her experience using a GLP-1 and how it has transformed her life from the inside out. 

Williams admitted that she doesn’t just look great, but she also feels great and feels healthier than she felt even when she was still an active competitor on the court. 

Williams recently opened up about using Ro, a GLP-1 for weight loss, in an interview.

“I feel healthier. I feel lighter. I feel great. It's a really good feeling. Something I've seen improvement on recently were just my numbers … huge improvements,” she shared. 

The 44-year-old athlete revealed that the medication has helped her lose 35 lbs and lower her cholesterol by 30%.

In addition to reducing her lifetime risk of heart disease by 70%, she also feels physically better than she did before she started using the drug. 

Williams recalled being on the tennis court a few days before the interview and “having fun” with it. She also has so much energy that she frequently goes on walks, runs, and attends pilates sessions. 

“It feels free. I always say I wish they had this when I was on tour. I would've been really amazing. I just feel like I'm at my healthiest. And that's not something I could say even when I was a professional athlete,” she told People Magazine.

The Grand Slam winner noted that with the medication, she is now able to “live her best life” and be present for her family.

She also counts it as a win that many other people are now being more open about using weight loss medication. 

Williams’ statements seemed to echo those of her former coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, who has previously advocated for the use of weight loss injections.

In September 2025, The Blast reported that Mouratoglou spoke about Williams’ use of GLP-1s, noting that it would have made her play better.

The star coach revealed that he was worried about Williams’ weight because of how it would affect her game and not her appearance, and it often resulted in fights between them.

He stressed that even “one kilo extra” could make a huge difference, saying, “Tennis is a sport in which you can’t afford to be overweight.” 

He continued, “I’m not the type of guy who’s looking back and having regrets. But, yeah, if she would have been in this position physically, the results would have been better.” 

A few weeks before Williams’ coach spoke about her weight loss journey, the star athlete also opened up about her struggles, revealing that she had a hard time losing weight before she turned to GLP-1s.

She shared that after she gave birth to her first daughter in 2017, her body changed drastically, and she found it increasingly hard to get to the weight she wanted to be, no matter how hard she tried. 

“It was frustrating to do the same things and see no change on the scale or the way my body looked,” she shared, per The Blast. 

Eventually, Williams decided to explore Ro, and although she was hesitant at first, she dove into it and was “excited” with the results. 

Following Williams’ positive weight loss results and retirement from the court, she started discovering new things about herself that were previously buried under the pressure of being a pro athlete. 

According to The Blast, the mother of two shared that while she was still an active tennis player, she had to “keep a veil up” to avoid being “too vulnerable.”

However, she is now rediscovering herself in retirement and is also discovering things about her sister, Venus.

She further admitted that at the start of her career, she felt a lot of pressure about public commentary that often surrounded her body because she wasn’t built like other athletes.

Although the comments took a toll on her, she eventually learned to preserve her mental health by deciding not to read anything that was published about her. 

Although Williams is now a veteran in the spotlight, she is still not excluded from being trolled online by critics who comment on her appearance. 

A few weeks ago, the athlete shared a picture of herself and her family at her sister’s wedding, and trolls were quick to accuse her of bleaching her skin. 

Her husband, Alexis Ohanian, was quick to clap back at them. He replied with a comment that read, “Where are all the comments from idiots who don’t understand how photography lighting works,” per The Blast. 

Another user then accused Ohanian of defending his wife over her “blatant skin lightening,” and he wasted no time in shutting that down too, writing, “Or: photos from the same event can look different based on lighting.”