Serena Williams is voicing her disappointment after an incident at a Paris restaurant during the 2024 Olympics. The retired tennis champion, who has been in the French capital for the games, reported that she and her children were allegedly turned away from a dining establishment at the Peninsula Paris.
The 42-year-old tennis icon, who carried the Olympic torch and supported Team USA’s gymnastics team on July 30, took to X (formerly Twitter) to share her frustration. Williams claimed that despite the restaurant being empty, she was denied access while attempting to enjoy a meal with her young daughters.
“Yikes @peninsulaparis I’ve been denied access to rooftop to eat in an empty restaurant of nicer places but never with my kids,” Williams posted, accompanied by frowning emojis. “Always a first.”
Williams, who shares her daughters Adira and Olympia with husband Alexis Ohanian, did not specify whether Ohanian was present at the time of the incident.
The Peninsula Paris, a historic luxury hotel formerly known as Hotel Majestic, has not yet responded to requests for comment from HuffPost.
The incident quickly drew support from social media users, who criticized the restaurant’s actions.
“Imagine turning Serena Williams away from an EMPTY restaurant? For shame!” tweeted one user.
“You were denied access because they were serving prejudice. Shame on them,” another user commented.
The controversy continues to attract attention as fans and commentators express their outrage and solidarity with the tennis legend.
