Serena Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam champion, claimed she and her family were denied entry to the rooftop restaurant L'Oiseau Blanc at The Peninsula Paris hotel during the 2024 Olympics, despite the restaurant being empty.
The hotel later apologized, stating the rooftop bar was fully booked, and that a staff member did not recognize Williams.
Fans and the tennis community showed immediate support for Williams on social media, while some criticized her for alleged entitled behavior.
Williams attended the 2024 Paris Olympics as a spectator, wearing bold dresses, sportswear, and accessories, and joked about staying put together despite the rainy weather affecting her makeup and false lashes.
The Peninsula Paris issued a public apology, clarifying that Williams and her family are always welcome, and stating that they were honored to welcome her.
Williams retired from competitive playing after the 2022 U.S. Open and came to France to watch Team USA superstars in the Olympics. She attended the opening ceremony with her family and watched tennis matches, including the Gold Medal match between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz.
Williams' husband, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, jokingly referred to himself as "Serena's Personal Umbrella Holder."
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq
Sources: Independent, Fox News, NY Post, HuffPost, The Sun, Daily Caller, Sportsry, Herald Sun, Pinkvilla, Marca, Aceshowbiz, Irish Star, FirstSportz, ET Online, EssentiallySports, NY Breaking, Express Digest, NY Daily News, Daily Mail.