SERENA WILLIAMS has stepped into a new chapter off the tennis court, becoming the patient ambassador for telehealth firm Ro’s weight-loss treatments.
The 23-time Grand Slam winner and four-time Olympic gold medallist will lead a multi-year national campaign focused on GLP-1 drugs, the company confirmed to Reuters.
Since retiring in 2022, Williams has spoken openly about her struggles with post-pregnancy weight. In an NBC News interview, she said, “I don’t take shortcuts. I was doing everything right … but my body wasn’t responding the way it used to.” Despite training at professional intensity, she said the results only came once she turned to GLP-1 medication, which helped her lose 31 pounds (14 kg).
A Ro spokesperson said “Serena knows people may be surprised to learn that she would use a GLP-1, and that’s exactly why we think she is the perfect person to share her story.”
GLP-1 drugs by suppressing appetite and slowing digestion, with clinical trials showing weight reductions of up to 20%.
Former Ro strategy analyst and founder of Cedar Grove Capital Management Paul Cerro said it gives the company both visibility and credibility in a crowded weight-loss drug market as companies push deeper into women’s health.
He added, “Well known people are willing to put their name with a company that they believe is doing the right thing in the right way.”
