With backlash over weight loss, Serena Williams shares post about mental health
Last month, Serena Williams broke the Internet with an Instagram selfie showing off a newly svelte frame.
The tennis legend subsequently came clean about how she achieved the dramatic makeover, losing about 30 pounds over an eight-month period, with the help of Zepbound.
The FDA-approved injectable medication, also known as tirzepatide, helps folks slim down by mimicking the hormone glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), which is released in our gut when we eat, and makes us feel full.
The Palm Beach Gardens resident also owned up to the fact that she was the celebrity ambassador for Ro, a telehealth company that prescribes Zepbound and similar injectable drugs.
While most fans were happy for Williams, she, naturally, had her share of detractors who felt the professional athlete had taken a shortcut, and let her know in the comments section (we won’t repeat them here).
On Tuesday, Williams dropped a new post, posing in front of a bookshelf in a form-fitting red dress. Without mentioning the backlash, the 23-time Grand Slam champ did reveal she hadn’t been in a good place mentally recently.
“My summer started out well but I was plunged into a difficult August,” began the caption. “Like many of you, I faced challenges that tested my spirit and resilience. Life can sometimes feel overwhelming and it’s easy to lose sight of what truly matters — your mental health and well-being.”
The mother of two explained she needed to take a little time away from social media to “breathe, to reconnect with myself, and to remember that it’s perfectly OK to pause and reconnect.”
Williams ended on a positive note, giving props to how fabulous she looked in that slinky get-up as she posed in front of old books.
“The only thing I’m dealing with in this moment here is how good this dress looks against first editions.”
This story was originally published September 19, 2025 at 10:58 AM.
