Retired tennis champion Serena Williams criticised the Peninsula Paris luxury hotel on Monday evening after she and her children were denied access to the hotel’s rooftop restaurant.
Williams, who recently participated as a torch bearer in the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics, shared her frustration on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“Yikes @peninsulaparis I’ve been denied access to rooftop to eat in an empty restaurant of nicer places… but never with my kids,” Williams wrote.
“Always a first.” She added a hashtag for the Olympics, highlighting her disappointment.
Williams, accompanied by another woman and a stroller, attempted to dine at the rooftop restaurant of the Peninsula Paris.
Maxime Mannevy, a staff member at the restaurant, explained to Variety that Williams appeared “unrecognizable” when she arrived.
According to Mannevy, there were only two available tables, both reserved for hotel clients.
“My colleague didn’t recognize her and feels terrible, but he told her what he would have told any other client, which is to wait downstairs in the bar for a table to become available.
“That was absolutely nothing personal,” Mannevy stated, emphasising that the staff member followed standard protocol.
Williams arrived in Paris in late July to participate in the Olympic opening ceremony, where she served as a torch bearer.
She joined a distinguished group of athletes, including nine-time medallist Carl Lewis, French sports icons Zinedine Zidane, Teddy Riner, and Marie-José Pérec, as well as fellow tennis star Rafael Nadal and former NBA player Tony Parker.
Having retired from professional tennis after the 2022 U.S. Open, Williams continues to be a prominent figure in the sports world.
She has been seen attending several Olympic tennis matches, including Novak Djokovic’s victory over Carlos Alcaraz to win gold in the men’s singles tournament.
Over her illustrious career, Serena Williams has secured four Olympic gold medals. She won the women’s singles gold at the 2012 London Games and three women’s doubles golds with her sister, Venus Williams, at the Sydney 2000, Beijing 2008, and London 2012 Olympics. Her participation in the 2024 Paris Olympics, even in a non-competitive role, underscores her enduring legacy in the sport.
The incident at the Peninsula Paris has sparked discussions on social media about recognition and the treatment of celebrities.
Fans of Williams expressed their support and disappointment over the situation, emphasizing the need for better recognition and accommodation for prominent figures, especially those with children.
