Serena Williams shared a video on Instagram showing her pole dancing skills, amid the controversy generated by her participation in a weight loss drug advertisement during the Super Bowl.
In the clip, the 44-year-old tennis player stands on the bar and shows her figure, accompanying the video with the text: “I’m back training on my two favorite devices.”
The video comes a few days after Serena starred in an advertisement for the Ro company to promote its drug GLP-1, which the tennis player attributes to her body transformation.
The ad aired in the first half of the game between the New EnglandPatriots and the Seattle Seahawks, and generated criticism on social media.Some users described the advertising as “disgusting” for promoting weight loss drugs.
Other viewers expressed concern upon seeing that one of the most prominent athletes in history was associated with a product of this type.
In the commercial, Serena Williams appeared injecting the medication, in addition to placing an order for the new pill version through Ro’s mobile application.
The tennis player explained that, thanks to the use of the medication, she not only managed to lose weight, but also reduced the stress on her joints, stabilized her blood sugar levels and lowered her cholesterol.
Williams began using the GLP-1 drug in 2024, after finishing breastfeeding her second daughter, Adira River Ohanian, born in August 2023.
The tennis player explained that, after pregnancy, she had difficulty reaching the weight she considered necessary despite maintaining a healthy diet and training consistently.
“I had never been in a place like this in my life, where I worked so hard, ate so healthy and could never get down to where I needed to go,” he told the press.
Serena became a Ro endorser last year, after losing more than 30 pounds in a single year thanks to the drug.Her husband, Alexis Ohanian, in addition to accompanying her as a family, also invests in Ro and is part of the company’s board of directors.
Despite the controversy, the tennis player responded by showing her figure and her pole dance training on Instagram.In a video shared on her Story, she is seen standing up on the bar while writing: “I’m back training on my two favorite devices.”
The images were released a few hours after the announcement was broadcast, and highlight the physical condition that the athlete maintains after her retirement from the professional circuit.
The Super Bowl ad also included information about the launch of a pill version of the drug GLP-1, showing that the company is looking to expand its availability.
The commercial was anticipated with a teaser and strong media coverage, which generated expectations about Serena’s possible return to public attention.However, the focus was on promoting the drug and not on a return to the fields.
In the context of the announcement, the athlete highlighted that she had never taken “shortcuts” during her career and that she always knew what it took to be at the top.
Through his statements, Williams explained that the decision to use the medication arose for reasons of health and well-being, and not as an aesthetic resource.She noted that feeling physically light and mentally energized was part of the benefit she experienced after treatment.
