Alexandria Wyckoff
Serena Williams is quickly becoming the biggest topic of the Super Bowl.
The tennis player starred in a commercial for Ro, a GLP-1 drug used for weight loss. Wearing her signature skirt and shirt, Williams injects herself with the drug during the commercial, noting it can now be obtained in pill form.
She finalizes the commercial with how the drug changed her wellness, and has since sparked positive and negative comments.
Serena Williams Commercial
Ro is an app that helps users diagnose their weight loss problems, prescribes medication, and provides treatments and ongoing care for health journeys.
Serena Williams appears on the screen, injecting herself with the GLP-1 medication, claiming she’s lost over 30lbs with the drug.
“Healthier on Ro, supported on Ro, FDA-approved GLP-1 options – now even in a pill. Weight loss expertise I trust,” she says.
The commercial focuses on the pen device to inject the medication, using the Ro mobile app, and reveals a new pill version of the medication. Along with her weight loss, Williams shares that she now enjoys reduced knee joint stress, better blood sugar levels, and lower cholesterol.
The commercial ends with Williams stating, “I’m moving better on Ro. I’m feeling better on Ro. I’m Serena Williams, this is me on Ro.”
Fans Reactions
Fans were quick to take sides, and not all of them were positive.
One fan asked, “Why was Serena Williams in a GLP-1 ad? What’s going on there??”
Another fan was more upfront with their distaste, commenting, “Like why would Serena Williams, one of the most athletic female athletes of all time promote such a product. She should be out showing, teaching, people how to become fit the natural, safe way.”
One was blunt, simply stating, “Serena Williams pushing weight loss drugs…disgusting.”
However, some of Williams’ fans came to her aid.
One said, “Guys she can do whatever she wants, your choice to follow or not.”
Professional tennis star Holger Rune also got in on the action, saying we shouldn’t shame Williams on her weight loss method.
“I think it’s great that Serena Williams don’t pretend it just happened overnight, but openly inform about what she did to achieve her personal goals in terms of her body. There is not one right or wrong way here, there is only the way that is good for you and we should not shame on this.”
Conflict of Interest
It should be noted that Williams’ husband, Alexis Ohanian, is an investor in Ro and also serves on the company’s board.
Williams’ Reasons for Using GLP-1s
Williams has struggled to lose weight ever since she had her first child.
The tennis player went on Oprah last month, talking about using injections to lose weight after her pregnancies. While originally thought of as a “shortcut,” Williams said it was “virtually impossible” to lose weight any other way, and decided to try out the injections.
During her training in 2022 for a competitive match, she’d spend eight hours in the gym a day with no results.
“I might have even gained weight. It was incredible how my body looked even though I was putting in hours and hours of training,” she explained.
Ever since she started using the medication, though, things have gone on the upswing.
“I lost over 31 pounds using my GLP-1 and I was really excited about that weight loss. I feel great. I feel really good and healthy. I feel light physically and light mentally.”
Along with feeling more energetic, Williams has enjoyed less joint pain.
While weight loss drugs remain a controversial and hot topic within the health world, Williams’ appearance on a GLP-1 commercial puts the medication in the spotlight.
One that surrounds athletes, weight loss, and finding the best way to lose those pesky pounds.