Serena Williams posts furious message after she's denied access to 'empty' Paris restaurant with her kids

Serena Williams has criticized a Paris eatery after she was reportedly "refused entry" to their rooftop dining area with her offspring. The tennis legend, who recently carried the torch for the Paris Olympics that kicked off last month, had an unexpected snub.

Having arrived in Paris back in July, Williams zipped along the River Seine on a speedboat as part of her official responsibilities.

She shared the spotlight with fellow court ace Rafael Nadal, sprinting star Carl Lewis, and legendary gymnast Nadia Comaneci.

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Despite soaking up some of the Olympic thrills post-launch, Williams fancied a bite on Monday but ended up dissatisfied. Taking to social media platform X, she expressed her dismay: "Yikes @peninsulaparis. I've been denied access to rooftop to eat in an empty restaurant of nicer places, but never with my kids. Always a first. #Olympic2024."

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The tennis community on the platform rallied around the 42-year-old, with one netizen even approaching the establishment for clarification.

If you can't see Serena Williams' post above, click here

Additionally, during the Games' inaugural ceremony, Williams graced the red carpet at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, accompanied by her husband Alexis Ohanian and their oldest daughter Olympia.

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Battling inclement weather , her spouse acted as a protective barrier with an umbrellaa moment highlighted on Eurosport, where he was referred to as an "umbrella holder".

"She looks absolutely incredible," the commentator remarked. "She's got someone just behind us holding an umbrella. Those are the levels you aspire to. To have an actual umbrella holder behind you."

Serena Williams' husband, Reddit co-founder Ohanian, laughed off a mistake and later posted on Instagram: "Olympia. Serena. Serena's Personal Umbrella Holder. Let the games begin! I'll be watching a lot of TandF to soak up @athlos inspiration."

The tennis powerhouse, Williams, has claimed an extraordinary 23 Grand Slam titles in a stunning career that has set her among the tennis elite.

Her impressive tally includes seven Australian Open victories, three wins at Roland-Garros, seven Wimbledon championships and six triumphs at Flushing Meadows.

At the Olympic Games, Williams showed her dominance too, grabbing singles and doubles gold at London 2012, doubling her gold medal haul with wins in Sydney 2000 and Beijing 2008 in the doubles before bowing out of the sport in 2022.