Lately, an increasing number of celebrities have spoken openly about using GLP-1 drugs, like Ozempic or Wegovy, for weight loss. Even so, many fans were disappointed when they found out that Serena Williams is among them. On Thursday, August 21, 2025, GLP-1 medicine company Ro shared a clip to highlight its partnership with the tennis champion. In the clip, Serena admitted to using the weight loss drug to lose 31 pounds and said she “needed” the weight loss help after welcoming her children.
Ro appeared to quote Serena with its caption: “Just like I always have, I’m making informed choices for my health and my body.” But generally, fans were not the least bit supportive of Serena’s decision to promote the weight loss drug.
A disgusted fan also quoted Serena in the comments, repeating one of her lines from the clip: “After kids, this is the medicine my body needed.” Reacting to the comment, the fan wrote, “Needed? Fantastic, now we can can undo all the progression we made on letting women know its ok to take time, recover and get back in shape or not to.”
Many others were deeply concerned about the message the partnership sends, especially because of Serena’s background as a professional athlete. “You can put whatever you want in your body but let’s not call it healthcare!” a second person commented. “This is so disturbing to me coming from a former elite athlete.”
The partnership made some fans wonder: If Serena isn’t healthy and fit enough, then who is? “So was [Serena’s] body the highest decorated tennis champion of all time not healthy before?” another person questioned. “Are women with her strong athletic shape not healthy? Is only skinny with no bottom of hips of muscle ‘healthy’ I just can’t understand how a body that made you the greatest of all time is now being called ‘unhealthy.'”
To some people, Serena’s decision to promote the drug felt like “a betrayal.” “I honestly feel gutted about Serena Williams,” one of them stated. “If she wants to take GLP-1s, that’s her business, fine. But promoting it? That’s just 💩. She built her legacy on strength, resilience. And now she’s literally selling weight-loss drugs?”
Several fans tried to understand Serena’s perspective, and acknowledged that she has surely felt the impact of having her body “studied, objectified, and critiqued” for many years. However, they still encouraged Serena to think about the message she’s sending to young girls and other women. One fan wrote, “You have shown us that health comes in different shapes and sizes and that what our bodies can DO is more important than how they look. We don’t know all your reasons for taking this [weight loss drug] route, but I want to ask you whether this is the culture you want today’s girls growing up in?”
