Serena's Stardom Soars: Tennis Icon's Evolving Impact on Business, Health, and Culture

Serena Williams BioSnap a weekly updated Biography.

Serena Williams has been all over the headlines the past few days, and this latest wave really spotlights how her post-tennis stardom is evolving in both business and culture. First, her surprising appearance in Newport this weekend supporting Maria Sharapova during Sharapova’s induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame caught fans and fellow pros genuinely off guard. Given their storied rivalry, seeing Serena cheering Sharapova in person—after years as on-court adversaries—was a moment of sports camaraderie and mutual respect that would have seemed impossible just a few years ago, according to Rhode Island Monthly.

While she wasn’t physically at the US Open, Serena’s presence was still felt in New York, especially with her sister Venus making a run to the quarterfinals in women’s doubles with Leylah Fernandez. According to CNN, Venus teased that Serena was “definitely coaching from afar” and nervously following each match at home with her kids. Venus even joked that if Serena showed up courtside, they’d probably drag her straight onto the practice court, which just sounds like classic Williams sister banter. After Venus and Fernandez were defeated in the quarterfinals, US Open social media and fans buzzed with speculation about whether Serena might surprise everyone with an in-person visit, but she stayed in the role of supportive sister and off-court advisor.

The most headline-grabbing personal development, though, is Serena’s recent revelation that she used GLP-1 medication—commonly prescribed for weight loss—to finally shed stubborn postpartum pounds. She opened up to Vogue and spoke on NBC’s Today Show candidly about the struggle to lose weight even with the strictest discipline, saying that the prescription helped her drop 31 pounds after giving birth to her second child in 2023. Williams emphasized that this was not a shortcut but science, framing the story as one of medical support, not diminished willpower. The ensuing national conversation, reported by outlets like the Houston Defender and Northeastern News, sees Serena’s disclosure as potentially profound for destigmatizing obesity treatments, particularly in communities of color where she remains a powerful role model.

From a business perspective, this next move was textbook Serena: she became global ambassador for the telehealth startup Ro, which provides GLP-1s and other medical services, and publicly joined their new marketing campaign. Her husband, Alexis Ohanian, is actually an early investor in Ro so it’s more than just a sponsorship deal—it’s almost a family business affair. Meanwhile, her investment firm Serena Ventures keeps making headlines, especially after backing 14 unicorn startups, according to Observer, and she just announced a partnership with Bumble to help fund women entrepreneurs of color, urging applicants to pitch their businesses for a chance to get funded.

On social media, Serena remains a force, promoting her new campaigns and voicing support for women in sports and business. Her recent TikTok poking fun at Venus’s doubles run at the Open drew laughs and plenty of media pickup. Even as speculation swirls about a possible surprise return to the tennis courts, Serena seems fully at ease in her roles as mentor, business mogul, and wellness advocate, still shaping conversations and challenging norms in every arena she enters. All in all, these most recent days may ultimately be remembered less for competition and more for Serena Williams’ ever-expanding influence off the court.

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