Serena Williams made one of the most talked-about appearances of Super Bowl 2026, and it had nothing to do with tennis. The 44-year-old sporting icon starred in a high-profile commercial for GLP-1 company Ro, where she opened up about her personal weight loss journey and revealed she had lost 34 pounds over the past year.
In the sleekly produced ad, Serena is shown injecting the medication using a pen device, scrolling through the Ro mobile app and unveiling a new pill version of the treatment.
© RoAlongside the weight loss, she shares that she experienced reduced knee joint stress, steadier blood sugar levels and lower cholesterol – positioning the transformation as both physical and health-focused.
For Serena, the journey began after welcoming her second daughter, Adira, with husband Alexis Ohanian in 2023. The couple are also parents to Alexis Olympia, born in 2017. After finishing breastfeeding in 2024, she decided to explore medical support.
Speaking previously about her experience, Serena admitted she felt blindsided by how difficult it was to lose weight postpartum.
© Getty“I never was able to get to the weight I needed to be no matter what I did, no matter how much I trained,” she told People. “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.”
For an athlete known for discipline and dominance, the plateau was especially frustrating.
© Getty“I had never taken shortcuts in my career and always worked really hard. I know what it takes to be the best,” she said. “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.”
After starting the GLP-1 medication in 2024, Serena says the results were transformative. “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.”
© GettyThe Super Bowl spot also highlights the launch of a new pill format, expanding access beyond injectable options – a move likely to draw major attention given the surging interest in weight-loss medications.
It’s worth noting that Alexis Ohanian is an investor in Ro and serves on its board, adding another layer to the partnership.
© GettyWhile weight-loss drugs remain a hot – and sometimes controversial – topic, Serena’s appearance places one of the world’s most recognisable athletes firmly at the centre of the conversation. And on a night built for spectacle, her candid reveal may have been one of the biggest headline-makers of all.
