Lifestyle

GAME, SET, SHOT

Serena Williams Ignites Debate Over Athletes Taking GLP-1s

The tennis champion’s successful return to the sport has left the internet divided.

Tamilore OshikanluBreaking News Intern

PublishedJun 22, 2026, 3:48 PM EDT

UpdatedJun 22, 2026, 3:48 PM EDT

Updated Jun 22, 2026, 3:48 PM EDTPublished Jun 22, 2026, 3:48 PM EDT

Comments

Serena Williams’ triumphant return to competitive tennis has reignited a surprisingly thorny debate that stretches far beyond the court: Are GLP-1 weight-loss drugs giving athletes an unfair edge?

The 23-time Grand Slam champion returned to the court earlier this month at the Queen’s Club Championship for her first doubles competition in nearly four years, teaming up with 19-year-old Canadian doubles partner Victoria Mboko for a convincing win.

The 44-year-old’s performance immediately drew attention online, with some critics questioning whether her public use of the weight-loss drug tirzepatide could provide an athletic advantage.

Williams announced her new role as a spokesperson for Ro, a telehealth company that prescribes GLP-11, in August 2025 with a sponsored Instagram post.

The debate arrives as GLP-1 medications continue their meteoric rise in popularity.

Roughly 1 in 8 Americans report using the drugs after the FDA approved Wegovy for obesity treatment in 2021. While originally developed to treat Type 2 diabetes, the medications have become widely used for weight loss.

STILL SERVING

Tennis Legend, 45, Announces Return to Major Tournament

Tamilore Oshikanlu

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), which oversees prohibited substances for most international sports, has not banned GLP-1 medications. However, the organization added the drugs to its monitoring program in 2024, signaling that officials are keeping a close eye on their growing use among athletes.

Williams herself has credited tirzepatide with helping her lose more than 30 pounds after having two children.

The tennis icon told USA Today last year that the medication “definitely had an effect on maybe some wins that I could have had in my career.”

She also told People that it helped “enhance everything that I was already doing—eating healthy and working out, whether it was as a professional athlete at the top level of tennis or just going to the gym every day.”

Still, many experts remain unconvinced that Williams’ stunning results translate into a substantial performance-enhancing edge.

Play Video

Thomas Hudzik, a pharmaceutical consultant who serves on a WADA advisory group that helps evaluate substances for potential bans, dismissed the idea that the medications provide a meaningful competitive boost.

“I can’t see that there would be much of an advantage at all to using these substances in an athlete,” Hudzik told The Atlantic.

BACKHAND VOLLEY

Serena Williams Reveals Teenage Struggle With Body Image

Roosa Rahkonen

Dr. Jessica Lovato, a double board-certified physician specializing in obesity medicine and general surgery at Banner Health, went even further.

“I would not agree that GLP-1s enhance sports performance at all,” Lovato said.

She noted that common side effects—including nausea, reduced appetite, and difficulty consuming enough calories and protein—can make it harder, not easier, for athletes to maintain muscle mass and strength.

“We have a population of patients who come in who are powerlifters or play league sports,” Lovato explained. “We see a lot of them come back saying that their performance has decreased. They feel weaker and more tired.”

Rapid weight loss itself can also reduce lean muscle mass, regardless of whether it is achieved through GLP-1 medications.

Still, some experts see potential reasons for concern.

Lars Engebretsen, head of WADA’s Health, Medical and Research Committee, previously told Norway’s public broadcaster that he believes the drugs deserve closer scrutiny, citing concerns about their potential impact on eating disorders.

Other physicians have argued that substantial reductions in body weight could benefit competitors in sports like wrestling where endurance, speed, or weight-class play a major role.

“GLP-1s can significantly reduce body weight and body fat, which could theoretically benefit athletes in sports where power-to-weight ratio, endurance efficiency, speed or weight-class requirements are important,” Dr. Paul Gross told the New York Post.

WADA considers three factors when determining whether a substance should be prohibited: its potential to enhance performance, potential health risks, and whether it violates what the agency calls the “spirit of sport.”

Online debate over Williams’ comeback reflected that uncertainty.

One online commenter argued there is still little evidence that GLP-1 drugs meet WADA’s standards for a ban, while another self-described powerlifter said athletes they knew who used the medications “had a negative impact on their strength and made training a bit harder.”

Tamilore OshikanluBreaking News Intern

Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast.