Serena Williams Sparks Conversation with Super Bowl Ad for Weight-Loss Medication
Serena Williams is no stranger to the spotlight. From Grand Slam glory to redefining what it means to be a dominant athlete, she’s long been a symbol of power, perseverance, and transformation. But this Super Bowl Sunday, the 23-time major champion found herself at the center of a different kind of conversation - not about forehands or titles, but about health, body image, and the evolving role of athletes in wellness advocacy.
Williams, who retired from professional tennis in 2022, appeared in a national Super Bowl commercial for Ro, a health company that provides access to a GLP-1 medication - a type of drug that’s become widely known for its role in weight management. In the ad, Williams is seen self-administering the medication and speaking directly about how it’s helped her feel healthier and more energized. Ro also used the moment to announce a new pill-form version of the medication, signaling a shift in how they plan to reach consumers.
But the ad didn’t land smoothly across the board. While some viewers applauded Williams for her openness, others took to social media to criticize the message - particularly the imagery of an elite athlete using an injectable medication during one of the most-watched broadcasts of the year.
Several online reactions questioned the appropriateness of a sports icon promoting a weight-loss drug, especially in such a high-profile setting. One viewer called the ad “shocking,” pointing to Williams’ legacy as a role model and expressing concern about the message it might send to younger audiences.
Another wrote: “Top female athlete pushing pharmaceuticals for weight loss? Wild.”
The criticism, though loud, doesn’t tell the whole story - and Williams has made it clear she didn’t arrive at this partnership lightly.
In a recent interview, the 44-year-old opened up about her post-retirement journey and the challenges she faced trying to lose weight after giving birth to her daughters in 2017 and 2023. Despite maintaining a disciplined routine - the kind you’d expect from someone who spent decades at the top of her sport - she said the results just weren’t coming.
“I never was able to get to the weight I needed to be no matter what I did, no matter how much I trained,” Williams said. “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.”
Frustrated but determined, she began researching GLP-1 medications and eventually decided to try it with support from Ro. Williams emphasized that this wasn’t about shortcuts - a word that carries weight in any athlete’s vocabulary - but about finding something that could complement the hard work she was already putting in.
“I had never taken shortcuts in my career and always worked really hard,” she said. “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.”
After starting the medication, Williams says she lost over 31 pounds and, more importantly, began to feel like herself again. Increased energy, less joint pain, and a renewed sense of physical ease were among the benefits she cited.
“I just can do more. I'm more active.
My joints don't hurt as much. I just feel like 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,” she said.
Williams also pointed out that the medication didn’t replace her healthy habits - it enhanced them. “GLP-1 helped me enhance everything that I was already doing - eating healthy and working out, whether it was as a professional athlete at the top level of tennis or just going to the gym every day.”
For Williams, sharing her story is about more than just personal transformation - it’s about connection. “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.”
There’s no question that the ad - and the broader conversation around it - taps into complex issues: the role of public figures in health messaging, the evolving landscape of weight management, and how we define wellness in a post-athletic career. But if there’s one thing Serena Williams has always done, it’s challenge norms and start conversations. This time, the court just looks a little different.