Serena Williams, the legendary tennis icon, stirred up a storm of controversy on Super Bowl Sunday after promoting a weight loss drug in a teaser ad that aired ahead of the big game.
The 44-year-old sports legend, who is widely recognized for her remarkable achievements in tennis, including multiple Grand Slam titles, has sparked a debate online for revealing her use of a GLP-1 medication as part of her post-career health journey.
Serena Williams Teams Up with Ro for Weight Loss Drug Campaign
Williams has been working with the telehealth company Ro, a provider of GLP-1 medication, since becoming a sponsor for the brand last year, per the Daily Mail.
In the teaser ad aired before Super Bowl LV, she partnered with the company to promote their weight loss drug.
Ro’s medication has gained attention for its ability to help users manage their weight, and Williams credited it for helping her lose over 30 pounds after stepping away from her tennis career.
The Controversial Super Bowl Ad
The commercial, which aired during the first half of the Super Bowl game between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks, showed Williams using the weight loss drug through an injection.
In addition to the injection, the ad also highlighted Ro's new pill-form version of the medication, which Williams ordered through the brand’s mobile app.
Throughout the commercial, she shared her personal experience, explaining how the drug had not only helped her lose weight but also reduce knee joint stress, improve her blood sugar levels, and lower her cholesterol.
Serena's Weight Loss Journey After Retirement
Williams has been open about her struggles with weight loss after stepping away from professional tennis.
In an August 2025 interview with People, she shared that after giving birth to her second daughter, Adira River Ohanian, in August 2023, she found it difficult to return to her pre-pregnancy weight.
She expressed frustration, saying: "I never was able to get to the weight I needed to be no matter what I did, no matter how much I trained. 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."
After finishing breastfeeding Adira in 2024, Williams turned to GLP-1 medication as a solution.
"I had never taken shortcuts in my career and always worked really hard. I know what it takes to be the best. 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," she admitted.
Williams revealed that she lost over 31 pounds using the medication and felt both physically and mentally rejuvenated.
“I feel great. I feel really good and healthy. I feel light physically and light mentally,” she said, reflecting on her transformation. Despite her success, the partnership with Ro has not been without its critics, especially after the ad aired during such a high-profile event.
Social Media Reacts: Fans Criticize the Ad
While fans eagerly anticipated news of Williams' potential return to tennis, the ad was a stark departure from the comeback they were hoping for.
Instead of seeing her back on the court, many viewers expressed disappointment and dismay on social media, particularly on X (formerly Twitter), where the ad quickly became a hot topic.
One user tweeted that seeing Williams “pushing weight loss drugs” was “disgusting.” Another critic expressed their disbelief, writing, “We’re cooked” because the “greatest tennis player of all time is on Ozempic,” a popular GLP-1 brand.