Serena Williams Opens Up About Weight Loss Journey After Losing 31lbs

The tennis superstar detailed the highs and lows, as well as the turning point that helped her achieve her goal.

Serena Williams / Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images

Serena Williams’s weight loss journey has been anything but easy, but—as to be expected from one of the most talented athletes of all time—she pushed forward until she achieved her goals.

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE published this week, the tennis superstar and SI Swimsuit model opened up about her journey, the resources she used and how she feels about her body.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ro (@ro.co)

Between giving it her all on the tennis court and giving birth to two beautiful daughters, Williams’s body has gone through many changes over the years. Due to this, the athlete noted she has struggled to reach her desired weight; no specific exercise or diet regimen seemed to work.

“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 exclusively told the media outlet. “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.”

She went on, adding, “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 very frustrating to do all the same things and never be able to change that number on the scale or the way my body looked.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Serena Williams (@serenawilliams)

Her solution? Ro—a medication designed with GLP-1 to help people lose excess weight in moderation. However, the 43-year-old admitted she initially had doubts about this method, wondering if it was “a shortcut” to her goals. But she pushed those doubts aside once she did thorough research on the medication and received support from her loved ones.

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

Serena Williams attends the 2025 Met Gala Celebrating "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style in New York City. / Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images

Now, Williams says she feels and moves better than ever before. Still, the SI Swimsuit model understands that beauty comes from within, which is why she refuses to let her weight loss intertwine with her perception of herself. Instead, Williams sees her weight loss as a way to enhance her current lifestyle.

“Weight loss should never really change your self-image,” she added. “Women often experience judgment about their bodies at any size, and I’m no stranger to that. So I feel like you should love yourself at any size and any look.”

---

More Serena Williams:

feed