Serena Williams, aged 44, has been actively training on the Wimbledon practice courts as she gears up for her highly anticipated return to the Championships' main draw next week. Williams accepted a wildcard entry, marking her first appearance at SW19 in four years, following her public step away from the sport at the 2022 US Open.
Since announcing her comeback last month, Williams has participated in two doubles matches. She has been a consistent presence at Aorangi Park, honing her skills for singles action. This week, she has practiced with notable players, including former world No. 3 Maria Sakkari, and has been seen interacting with Grand Slam champions like Stan Wawrinka and Novak Djokovic. Her presence has drawn significant attention, with fellow American player Ben Shelton pausing his own preparations to observe her practice session with Sakkari.
Amid temperatures reaching 33 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, Williams trained with coaches Jarmere Jenkins and Rennae Stubbs, and hitting partner David Quayle. Quayle joined Williams' team in May, traveling to Florida for preparations related to her unexpected entry into the Queen's Club doubles draw as Victoria Mboko's partner.
Scrutiny Over Weight-Loss Medication
A key question surrounding Williams' preparation is whether she has continued to use GLP-1 jabs, managed by the telehealth company Ro, for which she became a paid spokesperson last year. Williams' husband, Alexis Ohanian, is a board member and early investor in Ro. In February, Williams appeared in a Super Bowl advertisement for the brand, promoting its Zepbound tirzepatide jab, also known as Mounjaro.
Williams, reportedly having lost approximately 34 pounds (15kg) while using the drug, had previously described her post-childbirth weight loss challenge as an insurmountable opponent. Her publicist declined to comment when asked by The Atlantic about her continued use of the medication. While GLP-1s are not currently banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), they are under investigation for potential classification as performance-enhancing substances.
If Williams is still using Zepbound, she would be the first athlete to publicly disclose such usage. However, tennis has seen GLP-1s before, with semaglutide Ozempic notably sponsoring the Canadian Open last year. WADA's head of science, Professor Olivier Rabin, confirmed that the agency's study into GLP-1s has been extended until 2026. The agency has added semaglutide and tirzepatide to its Monitoring Program to observe patterns of use in sports, both in and out of competition.
Professor Rabin also noted that potential side effects of these drugs, such as dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, could outweigh the benefits.
Tournament Preparation Continues
Williams is scheduled to learn her singles draw for the tournament this weekend. She will also discover her opponents for the doubles competition, where she is expected to team up with her sister, Venus Williams. However, her ability to gain match experience on grass has been limited. Following an injury to her doubles partner Victoria Mboko at Queen's Club, their withdrawal from the tournament, and a first-round loss in Berlin with Karolina Muchova, her match play since her comeback has been sparse.
