Serena Williams and Ro: What She Uses and What Her Path Costs You

Serena Williams is Ro's paid "celebrity patient ambassador" for GLP-1 weight loss. In August 2025 interviews she said she's on Zepbound (tirzepatide) through Ro. Ro has described her results as 31 to 34 pounds, and Ro discloses that her husband is a Ro investor and board member. Following her path on Ro costs a membership plus the medicine.

So her story is real, but it's also advertising. Below we line up exactly what's been said, by whom and when, and what the same path would cost you.

The RX Index is the independent GLP-1 decision resource that scores telehealth providers and treatment paths on clinical legitimacy, care quality, transparency, access, and cost, so readers can choose the path that fits their situation.

RX Index Decision Verdict: Serena's partnership tells you Ro is a mainstream, legitimate GLP-1 service. It doesn't tell you Ro is the best or cheapest path for you, or what results you'll get.

• Best for: people who want what she describes, a brand-name GLP-1 through one online service, and who don't already have a prescriber.
• Not ideal for: anyone choosing Ro mainly because of the ad, since one paid ambassador's result isn't a prediction of yours.
• The factor that matters most: whether Zepbound, or any GLP-1, is right for your health history, and what it costs with your insurance.

Want to compare paths before picking a brand from an ad? Find My GLP-1 Path is free, takes about 2 minutes and needs no signup.

Is Serena Williams really on Ro?

Yes. Ro announced on August 21, 2025, that Serena Williams "has been using Ro to lose weight" and was joining as a celebrity patient ambassador for a multi-year campaign. She's a paid partner, not an independent reviewer.

Two disclosures matter here. Ro's press releases say her husband is an investor in Ro and serves on its board. And Ro's own pages say the members in its testimonials, including Serena, were paid for them.

None of that makes her story false. It means her experience is marketing, so you should judge Ro on its prices, care and fit, not on the ad.

What GLP-1 does Serena Williams take?

Serena said she takes Zepbound. Asked by Elle in August 2025 whether she's on a specific GLP-1, she answered, "I am on Zepbound through Ro." Vogue reported the same day that she's on Zepbound and accessed it through Ro.

Zepbound is tirzepatide, a brand-name, FDA-approved weekly shot made by Eli Lilly. Ro's own pages don't name her medicine; its Serena page shows a pen "for visual reference." She hasn't publicly said which Zepbound form or dose she uses.

On Ro, Zepbound comes two ways:

Your provider decides whether Zepbound or another medicine fits you. You don't get Zepbound just because it's what Serena uses. For more on tirzepatide at Ro, see does Ro have tirzepatide, and for every medicine Ro offers, what GLP-1 does Ro use.

What has Ro said about Serena's results?

Ro has described Serena's results in three different ways on its own pages and in its press releases. All three come from Ro, and none is independently verified.

What this means for you:

• The timelines don't line up. "8 months," "20 months" and "a year" can't all describe the same stretch, and the Serena page says part of her loss came before Ro. Treat any single number as approximate.
• One person isn't an average. Ro itself says average weight loss for the GLP-1s it offers is 14% to 20% in a year, with diet and exercise. Your result depends on the medicine, dose, your body and how long you stay on it.
• Her routine isn't typical. She told Vogue and Elle she still trains hard and eats healthy. She also told Elle, "I haven't had any side effects. But every single person and every body is different."

The cholesterol and heart-risk figures in Ro's Super Bowl release are Ro-reported lab results for one person. They're not a promise that a GLP-1 will do the same for you.

What would Serena's Zepbound path cost you on Ro?

Paying cash for the Zepbound KwikPen on Ro, your first month is $338: $299 for the starting 2.5 mg dose plus Ro's $39 first-month membership. After that you pay the medicine plus a membership of $74 to $149 a month, so most months land between $473 and $598.

Prices from Ro's pricing and Zepbound pages, checked October 31, 2026. Totals are our math.

Three things to know before you budget:

• The $449 price needs on-time refills. Ro says it requires your next refill check-in within 45 days. Miss it and a refill costs $499 at 7.5 mg or $699 at 10 mg to 15 mg. At $699, a month-to-month month is $848.
• The 12-month plan is paid all at once. "$74 a month" means $888 charged up front after your first month. It's a monthly equivalent, not a monthly bill.
• Insurance helps only with the single-dose pen. Insurance never covers Ro's membership. Ro says half of its covered members pay a copay of $50 a month or less. As a hypothetical, that's $50 plus $149, or $199 a month. Ro's Serena page also says the membership is $145 a month, while its pricing page says $149. We use $149.

For the full Ro price list and other medicines, see Ro GLP-1 cost and does Ro have a membership fee.

Who can get Zepbound like Serena?

You can get Zepbound only if a licensed provider decides it's right for you. The FDA approves Zepbound, with a reduced-calorie diet and more activity, for adults with obesity or adults with overweight and at least one weight-related health problem. It's also approved for moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea in adults with obesity.

On Ro, a Ro-affiliated provider reviews your health history in an online visit. Your coverage also matters. Ro can bill commercial insurance and federal employee plans for the single-dose Zepbound pen. Medicare, Medicare Advantage and TRICARE members can pay cash for select options. Ro doesn't accept Medicaid or VA coverage.

Safety: Zepbound has a boxed warning, the FDA's most serious kind, for thyroid C-cell tumors seen in rats; it isn't known whether it causes them in people. Do not use it if you or a family member has had medullary thyroid cancer (MTC), or if you have Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2). The most common side effects include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, stomach pain and indigestion. See Ro weight loss side effects for what Ro members report and how Ro handles them.

Does Serena's partnership make Ro legit?

It shows Ro is a large, mainstream company, but legitimacy comes from the care, not the celebrity. Ro prescribes brand-name, FDA-approved GLP-1s through licensed providers and doesn't currently list compounded versions for weight loss. The FDA approves medicines, not telehealth companies. Our guide on whether Ro weight loss is FDA-approved explains the difference, and our Ro GLP-1 reviews cover what members say.

If you've decided Ro and Zepbound fit what you want, these are the next steps:

What we actually verified

• Read Ro's August 21, 2025, and January 28, 2026, press releases about Serena Williams on October 31, 2026.
• Opened Ro's Serena Williams page, "ro.co tv" page, Zepbound page, pricing page and insurance page on October 31, 2026, and recorded each result claim and price.
• Read Serena's own statements in Elle and Vogue (both August 21, 2025).
• Read the Zepbound prescribing information (revised August 2026) for who it's approved for, the boxed warning and common side effects.
• Did all the monthly totals ourselves from Ro's posted prices.

Not verified: Serena's actual weight, labs, dose or timeline (all Ro- or self-reported), which provider she used before Ro, and Ro's figure for covered members' copays. Ro's prices can change, so confirm them at signup.

Frequently asked questions

Is Serena Williams paid by Ro?

Yes. Ro calls her a celebrity patient ambassador, and its pages say the members in its testimonials were paid. Ro also discloses that her husband, Alexis Ohanian, is an investor in Ro and serves on its board.

What weight loss drug does Serena Williams use?

She told Elle in August 2025, "I am on Zepbound through Ro." Zepbound is tirzepatide, a weekly shot from Eli Lilly that's FDA-approved for weight loss in adults with obesity, or with overweight and a weight-related health problem. She hasn't publicly shared her dose.

How much weight did Serena Williams lose on Ro?

Ro has said 31 pounds in 8 months, 31 pounds in 20 months (including time with another provider before Ro), and 34 pounds in a year. All three figures come from Ro, and they don't fully agree.

What is ro.co/serena?

It's a web address used in Ro's Serena Williams ads. When we checked on October 31, 2026, it forwarded to Ro's weight-loss sign-up quiz, which asks whether you're interested in a GLP-1 pill, a shot, both, or a provider's recommendation.

How much does Zepbound cost on Ro?

Paying cash, the Zepbound KwikPen costs $299 a month at 2.5 mg, $399 at 5 mg and $449 at 7.5 mg to 15 mg with on-time refills, plus Ro's membership. Your first month totals $338. With insurance, Ro checks coverage for the single-dose Zepbound pen.

Was Serena Williams in Ro's Super Bowl ad?

Yes. Ro's first Super Bowl ad starred Serena Williams and debuted during Super Bowl LX on NBC on February 8, 2026, as part of Ro's "Healthier on Ro" campaign.

Still not sure which GLP-1 path fits you? Take The RX Index's free Find My GLP-1 Path quiz — about 2 minutes, no signup.

Sources

• Ro press release: Serena Williams joins Ro as GLP-1 Celebrity Ambassador (August 21, 2025; checked October 31, 2026)
• Ro press release: Super Bowl commercial starring Serena Williams (January 28, 2026; checked October 31, 2026)
• Ro: Serena Williams (checked October 31, 2026)
• Ro: ro.co tv (checked October 31, 2026)
• Ro: Zepbound (checked October 31, 2026)
• Ro: Weight loss pricing (checked October 31, 2026)
• Ro: How insurance works with the Ro Body membership (checked October 31, 2026)
• Elle: Serena Williams on GLP-1s, Motherhood, and Redefining Diet Culture (August 21, 2025; checked October 31, 2026)
• Vogue: Serena Williams Opens Up About Being on a GLP-1 (August 21, 2025; checked October 31, 2026)
• Zepbound prescribing information (Eli Lilly, revised August 2026; checked October 31, 2026)