Serena Williams, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest athletes in tennis history, has sparked a major public conversation this year after openly discussing her use of prescription GLP-1 weight-loss medications and appearing in a high-profile Super Bowl commercial promoting the treatment. This drew Andy Roddick’s attention, who shared his take on this matter.
During his appearance at the Super Bowl, Williams said that the medication helped her lose 34 lb and improve her overall well-being after struggling with post-childbirth weight and mobility issues, making headlines and dividing opinion online.
Her transparency comes at a time when major developments are unfolding around her future in the sport. The 23-time Grand Slam champion was recently cleared by the International Tennis Integrity Agency to be eligible to return to professional competition as of February 22, 2026. This move has reignited speculation about a possible comeback, despite her own mixed messages about whether she plans to play again.
While she is receiving criticism from some of her fans for the high-visibility promotion of GLP-1 drugs, former World No. 1 Roddick offered his take on the subject. He reframed much of the criticism through the lens of what it would actually take to prepare for an elite-level return to professional tennis on the latest episode of his podcast.
“I can tell you something that I think I know for a fact, right? I’m not Serena. I can’t play anymore. I stink. And if I decided that I wanted to come back, guess what I would be doing immediately? Immediately, I’d be dropping 20 lbs as fast as I can. I would be taking those drugs because you know what becomes easier when you’re 20 pounds lighter? Actually getting back to the training that you need without getting injured to get back on tour. Oh, that’s interesting. So, I don’t I they’re like, ‘Oh, it doesn’t enhance performance.’ Yep. No,” said Andy Roddick (1:26.44 onwards).
Highlighting the risks it takes to compete at the top level, he added:
“What it does is it I think it shortens the timeline for training and mitigates a lot of the risk in because the thing with getting back is, like, you get injured training, you can’t get back. If you start training from a place of 25 pounds less, guess what’s less likely to happen? Getting hurt. So, it’s not on the day. It’s like if I was going to do it, I would absolutely do it and try to drop as much before I committed back to the training process.”
While Roddick’s remarks were hypothetical and not direct commentary on Williams’ personal decision, he did shut down the criticisms in his way.
Serena Williams Made Her Feelings Known About Her Health Journey After Taking GLP-1s
In January 2026, Serena Williams sat for a conversation with Today.com, where she revealed her Super Bowl ad about the medication. While discussing the ad, the former world No. 1 opened up about how GLP-1 medication helped in her health journey. Stating the major changes she saw in herself after the medication, she said:
“My blood sugar is better. I was able to lower my cholesterol by 30%. Some of these numbers [previous high cholesterol levels] are from when I was literally winning Grand Slams. It wasn’t, like, just playing tennis. I was dominating. I was at risk for heart disease, and I didn’t even know. … That’s scary.”
She further admitted that it changed her life for the better and highlighted that it is more about longevity than the weight loss. Serena Williams said that it has also boosted her stamina, as she has started loving running, and she feels lighter, not just physically but mentally too.
Read More News:
1.Serena Williams GLP-1 Super Bowl Ad: Everything to Know About the Commercial & Her 34lb Weight Loss
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