SERENA WILLIAMS CAREER: Serena Williams says weight loss drug made her healthier than during her tennis career..READ MORE

“Sometimes, no matter what you do, no matter how many steps you take, how many miles you run, you just can’t get over that hump.

I know that for a fact,” Williams said. “As a woman, as I age, I definitely couldn’t get over that hump.” GLP-1 drugs suppress appetite by mimicking a hormone in the gut.

The class includes Ozempic and Mounjaro, which can lower blood sugar levels in people with diabetes, as well as Zepbound and Wegovy, which are approved for weight management. Wegovy has also been approved to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in people who are overweight or obese.

Williams, who shared her health metrics on Wednesday as part of a campaign with Ro, said GLP-1 medication has lowered her cholesterol and steadied her blood sugar. She lost roughly 34 pounds in the last year, she said.

She said that since 2021 — her penultimate year of professional tennis — her total cholesterol has dropped 30%, from 185 milligrams per deciliter to 129 milligrams per deciliter. (Doctors say around 150 milligrams per deciliter is ideal.)

“Some of these numbers are from when I was literally winning Grand Slams. So it wasn’t like I was just playing tennis. I was dominating,” Williams said.