PARIS, France, Aug 6: Tennis star Serena Williams has publicly criticized a Paris hotel for not allowing her family to dine at its rooftop restaurant. Williams expressed her frustration on social media platform X, stating, “Yikes @peninsulaparis I’ve been denied access to the rooftop to eat in an empty restaurant of nicer places…but never with my kids. Always a first.”

Williams, a four-time gold medalist, is in Paris to spectate the Olympics and participated in the event’s opening ceremony last week as a torch bearer. Accompanying her on the trip are her husband, Alexis Ohanian, and their two daughters, Olympia and Adira.

Following her tweet, the restaurant responded, offering an apology and explanation. “Dear Mrs. Williams, Please accept our deepest apologies for the disappointment you encountered tonight. 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,” the reply read.

This incident is not Williams’ first controversy in France. In 2018, she faced backlash at the French Open for wearing a black catsuit, an outfit that was subsequently banned. French Tennis Federation President Bernard Giudicelli stated, “It will no longer be accepted … One must respect the game and the place.” Williams responded by saying, “I didn’t know it would have such an impact. Here I am, just trying to be healthy, I was a new mom and just trying to be me. It was a great moment. I didn’t know it would cause such a stir.”