Former tennis star Andy Roddick has voiced support for Serena Williams' use of GLP-1 medication in her weight-loss efforts, suggesting it could aid a potential return to the court. Williams has shared how the treatment improved her health, while speculation grows following her inclusion in the anti-doping pool and practice sessions with younger players. Roddick emphasized the benefits for injury prevention during training.
In a recent episode of the Served podcast, Andy Roddick addressed criticism of Serena Williams' use of GLP-1 medication for weight loss. He stated that if he were attempting a comeback, he would prioritize rapid weight reduction to facilitate safer training. "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 pounds as fast as I can," Roddick said.
Roddick argued that starting lighter reduces injury risks during preparation, which is a major hurdle for returning athletes. "I would be taking those drugs because you know what becomes easier when you are 20 pounds lighter? Actually, getting back to the training that you need without getting injured to get back on tour," he explained. He added, "What it does is 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, injured training, injured training, you can’t get back. Right."
Williams first discussed her use of the medication in an August 2025 interview with People Magazine and reinforced it in a Super Bowl XL advertisement in 2026. In a January 2026 interview with Today.com, she highlighted health improvements: "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."
Comeback rumors intensified after Williams' name appeared in the tennis anti-doping testing pool, a step often required for returning players. On the Today show in January 2026, she responded ambiguously: "I’m just having fun and enjoying my life right now," adding, "I don’t know, I’m just going to see what happens."
American player Alycia Parks recently practiced with Williams and commented on her fitness. "I actually practiced with her last Monday. And I messaged her yesterday. She’s definitely a good mentor to me, and she’s helped me a lot, especially in my practices," Parks told Tennis Majors. She added, "She is in great shape. So I think she would kill it on tour."
Support for Williams continues to build in the tennis community as discussions of a potential return, possibly emulating sister Venus, persist.
