Serena Williams is back in the social-media spotlight, and this time it’s old beach photos doing the damage. Images from a 2014 tropical getaway have resurfaced and spread fast, with the tennis legend showing off her curves in a way that has people talking all over again.
The pictures show Williams relaxing by the ocean in a teal bikini top with patterned bottoms decorated in colorful mandala designs. In another set from the same vacation era, she’s seen in a vibrant blue bikini top and leopard-print bottoms while on Miami Beach. A black headscarf covers her hair in the shoreline shots, and sunglasses finish the look.
The reaction online has been loud, but not all of it kind. One person wrote, “Good, she’s happy in her own skin.
No one will love you more than you love yourself,” while another said, “This is old Serena, and that’s how you know this is a bot account and hella bots in the comments. Cuz real people know this ain’t how she looks in 2026,” a second person pointed out.
A third comment read, “If Serena puts on any more pounds, she’d be banned from playing on a clay court,” and a fourth said, “This should be old pictures cos she looks a whole lot better than this currently”
Williams’ body has been a public talking point for decades, from critics calling her muscular frame “manly” early in her career to the racist and sexist abuse she has taken along the way. She was also scrutinized for her on-court style, with her clothing choices drawing dress-code bans and endless debate about what women should look like.
Even with all that noise, the message attached to these resurfaced photos is the same one Williams has carried throughout her career: she has always stayed true to herself.
In the present day, Williams has lost 34 pounds using the GLP-1 medication Zepbound. Her weight loss journey was driven mainly by postpartum metabolic changes and a desire to improve her long-term cardiovascular and joint health.