Tennis legend Serena Williams, seen here waving to the crowd after losing the final match of her career to Ajla Tomljanovic 2022 U.S. Open tennis, has suffered two pulmonary embolisms — the first in 2011 and the second in 2017 after the birth of her first child. She was able to return to competition both times but has also said that she needs to be vigilant for the rest of her life when it comes to early detection of blood clots.

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‘It Was Very Frustrating’ – Serena Williams Opens Up About New Medication and Weight Loss Struggles

Williams retired in 2022 and currently has two daughters.

In an open and honest revelation, 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams has revealed the secret behind her successful weight-loss journey. The 43-year-old tennis icon has repeatedly spoken about how frustrating it was for her to work on her weight.

Since the birth of her first daughter, Olympia, in 2017, Williams has struggled with the postpartum changes to her body. But after years of struggles, the American icon has finally succeeded in her quest to lose weight. Recently, Williams opened up about the difficulties she faced during her weight-loss journey.

Serena Williams Loses Over 31 lbs After Years of Struggles

Serena Williams recently got interviewed by PEOPLE about her fitness journey post-retirement. Williams admitted that since her first child’s birth, her body had changed. “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 admitted. It left her shocked, because this was the first time the fearless WTA superstar was facing such troubles. The tennis legend admitted she worked extra hard but never received the desired results.

Serena Williams Reveals She Lost 31-Lbs. Using Weight-Loss Medication: ‘I Feel Great’ (Exclusive) https://t.co/VSRiaFlWwH
— People (@people) August 21, 2025

“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,” revealed Williams. The same thing seemingly happened after the birth of her second daughter, Adira. While Williams successfully lost a lot of weight in the initial two weeks, she hit a dead end very soon. As a result, it became imperative for her to make changes – which is when Williams came across the GLP-1 treatment.

GLP-1 works in the brain to impact satiety. Brands like Ozempic have become synonymous with this, but this treatment has been under controversy since its start. Serena Williams knew about the public opinion on the process, which is why she chose to be cautious about it. “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,” admitted the 43-year-old.

And one meltdown later we are finally on the way to the Met Gala #MetGala pic.twitter.com/Smcoeru9OL
— Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) May 5, 2025

After consulting a doctor, Williams finally took on the treatment. And that helped her lose over 31 lbs! More importantly, it dramatically improved her lifestyle. “I just can do more. I’m more active. My joints don’t hurt as much,” revealed Williams. However, while Williams struggled with her weight, there was one thing that never changed.

Williams Reveals the One Thing That Remained Constant

Despite struggling with weight issues, Serena Williams never faced self-image problems. The sporting legend claimed that she never really felt any pressure to look a certain way. It was more of her own choice to get in bette shape. As a result, while talking about her journey, Williams stressed one big problem that many women face throughout their lives.

“Weight loss should never really change your self-image. Women often experience judgment about their bodies at any size, and I’m no stranger to that,” admitted Williams. “So I feel like you should love yourself at any size and any look.” Later, she revealed that it was constant joint pain that became the ultimate trigger for her to lose weight. However, now that she has successfully achieved her goal, Williams is preparing for something more. She is preparing for a half-marathon – certainly something that her fans will look forward to!

(Image Credits: Robert Deutsch, Imagn Images)

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Sanskar Dubey

A passionate sports fan since childhood, it was always my dream to cover the peak of human potential. Baseball, Tennis, and Football (or Soccer) have been closest to my heart. From Rafael Nadal’s never-say-die attitude to Roger Federer’s beautiful backhand, I’ve seen it all. Prior to the Playoffs, I’ve worked in EssentiallySports and Pro Football and Sports Network.