Serena Williams revealed to the public what helped her feel stronger, healthier, and—most importantly—like herself again after giving birth.

The 43-year-old American tennis icon revealed that she uses GLP-1, an injectable weight loss drug that has helped her lose over 31 kilograms.

"I feel great," Williams told People magazine. "I feel really good and healthy. I feel light physically and light mentally."

Her weight struggle began after the birth of her first daughter, Alexis Olympia, in 2017, which led to postpartum changes she was unfamiliar with. The tennis player later gave birth to her second child (Adira) in 2023.

"I could never reach the weight I needed, no matter what I did, no matter how much I exercised," Williams explained.

"It was crazy because I had never been in a situation where I worked so hard, ate so healthily, and still couldn't reach my desired weight," she added.

For an athlete whose career is built on uncompromising discipline, this struggle was particularly painful. "I've never taken shortcuts in my career and I've always worked very hard. I know what it takes to be the best," said the 23-time Grand Slam champion.

"It was very frustrating to do the same thing over and over again and never be able to change the number on the scale or the appearance of my body," said the tennis star.

Determined to explore new options, Williams turned to Ro, a company offering direct-to-patient healthcare services, for support with GLP-1 treatment. Under her doctor's supervision, she began receiving injections from Ro six months after the birth of her daughter Adira.

GLP-1, short for glucagon-like peptide-1, mimics a naturally occurring hormone that helps regulate blood sugar and appetite. By slowing digestion and signaling the brain to feel full, the drug reduces hunger and aids weight loss.

However, treatment is not without risks, especially when used incorrectly or taken without medical supervision. Common side effects include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, loss of appetite, and dehydration.

More serious complications can include pancreatic edema, gallbladder disease, which sometimes requires surgical removal, muscle loss, kidney damage, and hypoglycemia, especially when combined with other medications.

For this reason, doctors emphasize that GLP-1 should only be taken under medical supervision and is not suitable for everyone. Williams admits that she was hesitant at first. With the ongoing debate about weight loss drugs, she struggled with the same doubts that others have expressed.

However, this week Williams officially announced her partnership with Ro to launch a campaign aimed at normalizing GLP-1 treatment and challenging the perception that using them is a "quick fix."

The star's husband, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, is also involved in the effort, as an investor and board member of Ro.

The trend for weight loss with GLP-1 began in the US but quickly spread to Europe. Originally prescribed for the treatment of diabetes, these drugs are now fueling a weight loss industry worth billions of euros, driven by private demand, social media hype, and regulatory loopholes.

Many Europeans pay the full price (often over €1,000 per month) out of pocket for injectable GLP-1s. For example, the private market for GLP-1 drugs in Italy exploded in 2024, reaching a staggering €26 billion in global spending on obesity drugs, more than a tenfold increase compared to 2020.

Over 1 billion people worldwide are obese, and over 830 million struggle with diabetes.

In Europe, more than half of the adult population is overweight, and 17% are clinically obese. The World Obesity Federation predicts that by 2050, 60% of adults worldwide will fall into this category. | BGNES