"Always a first": Serena Williams lambasts Paris restaurant for denying entry to her family

Former world number one Serena Williams has lambasted a restaurant in Paris for not allowing her and her kids to dine in. The 42-year-old is often regarded as the greatest player in the history of women’s tennis in the Open era in the singles category, having won as many as 23 Grand Slam titles in her illustrious career.

Serena, in a post on her official account on the social media platform X — previously known as Twitter — slammed a restaurant in Paris for not allowing her family to dine in. “Yikes @peninsulaparis I've been denied access to rooftop to eat in a empty restaurant of nicer places but never with my kids. Always a first,” she wrote.

The restaurant was quick to respond in a detailed message and stated that the entry was disallowed as it was completely booked on the night. “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. We have always been honored to welcome you and will always be to welcome you again,” was the hotel's statement.

The incident did not go down well, and some of the fans of the former world number one criticised the behaviour of the restaurant’s management. Serena retired from the sport in September 2022 to spend more time with her family. She remains one of the most decorated players in women’s tennis.

Other than winning 23 Grand Slam titles in the singles category, the Michigan-born also lifted 14 doubles Grand Slam titles and two mixed doubles Grand Slam titles in her career. She ended up winning 73 titles in her career, which is the fifth-highest in women’s tennis. Serena also represented her country at the Olympics and won four gold medals. Three of them came in the doubles category. In 2012, she won her only gold medal in the singles category after beating Russia’s Maria Sharapova in the final in straight sets with a score of 6-0, 6-1.