Serena Williams is not only tennis royalty worldwide but she’s also a four-time Olympic gold medalist. However, that didn’t prevent a Paris restaurant from denying her access.
On Monday, Aug. 5, the 23-time Grand Slam champion took to X (formerly Twitter) to put the business on blast.
“Yikes @peninsulaparis I’ve been denied access to rooftop to eat in a empty restaurant of nicer places but never with my kids,” she wrote alongside a photo of a sign for the establishment. “Always a first. #Olympic2024.”
Although Williams didn’t offer any further details about why she was turned away from The Peninsula Paris amid the 2024 Paris Olympics, X users drew their own conclusions in the comments.
One wrote, “You were denied access because they were serving prejudice. Shame on them.”
Another shared, “It doesn’t matter how much money you have. Racism doesn’t care bro.”
In the comments, The Peninsula Paris seemingly responded to Williams’ public criticism (although the account did not have a verified checkmark).
“Dear Mrs. Williams, Please accept our deepest apologies for the disappointment you encountered tonight,” the message began. “Unfortunately, our rooftop bar was indeed fully booked and the only unoccupied tables you saw belonged to our gourmet restaurant, L’Oiseau Blanc, which was fully reserved.”
Still others couldn’t believe any restaurant would refuse service to the women’s tennis GOAT.
One wondered, “How does one get denied when they are Serena Williams…… lol,” while another echoed, “How does THE Serena Williams get denied anywhere?? Especially during the Olympics???”
Someone else agreed, sharing, “Who doesn’t make room for a queen?”
Meanwhile, other fans took the opportunity to share their support, with one X user joking, “Me and the crew are otw sis, hang on…. We’ll keep it classy. Promise.”
Yet another assured her, “Their loss, queen. Better doors will open for you automatically.”
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