Having a bad day at work? Think of Serena Williams. Even a star like her has faced her share of challenges, both on and off the court. Imagine being one of the greatest athletes of all time and still being pulled into the whirlwind of controversy long after your last match. Despite hanging up her racquet two years ago, the drama surrounding her hasn’t ceased. And now, there’s a fresh twist added to the mix.

Williams has been in Paris along with her entire family, taking in the spectacle of the Olympic games. But what followed outside the tennis courts was not just shocking for the star player but for her followers as well. Williams alleged that she was restricted from entering The Peninsula, a lavish restaurant in the city along with her daughters Olympia and Adria. Taking to her X, the former American player expressed her anger and wrote, “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. 🙄#Olympic2024.” But now, there is a new twist to the story.

The 42-year-old has been community-noted on Elon Musk’s Twitter over the allegations she made. The note reads, “Serena was not “denied access”. Rather, the restaurant was fully booked.” For the unversed, Community Notes is a feature on X that allows users to add context to a post, eventually helping in fact-checking. A similar response was also made by the hotel earlier. 

Responding to Williams’ tweet, the hotel had issued a clarification. “Dear Mrs. Williams, Please accept our deepest apologies for the disappointment you encountered tonight. Unfortunately, our rooftop bar was indeed fully booked.” A restaurant staff had also made a detailed statement when speaking to Variety.

Maxime Mannevy, who was not on shift during the incident, revealed that when the tennis star entered the hotel, she was ‘unrecognizable’ by her colleagues. “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.”

The tennis star has often revealed the discrimination she had to witness. In an interview in 2018, she recalled the comments she received. However, she shared that she had grown to love her body. Williams stated, “People would say I was born a guy, all because of my arms, or because I’m strong. I was different from Venus: she was thin and tall and beautiful, and I am strong and muscular — and beautiful, but, you know, it was just totally different.” But Williams’ tryst with controversy is not just related to off-court happenings and remarks.

When Williams’ attire led to a complete rule change in tennis

Williams is not just known for her fierce gameplay but her aggressive nature as well. But while she is often known as a player who abides by the general rules of any tournament, there was a time when her attire led to a controversy and eventual rule change at Roland Garros. 

In May 2018, Williams witnessed immense flak for wearing a so-called “catsuit” bodysuit to the French Open. While the tennis star claimed that the suit was designed to prevent blood clots since she had given birth a few months earlier in 2017, it did not seem to calm her critics. Ultimately, the then French Open President Bernard Giudicelli ruled that the suit “would no longer be accepted” and that players in future tournaments would have to dress more conservatively.

Such incidents revolving around the tennis star highlight that she did not rise to the top without shaking the tennis community. And as Williams continues to make her presence in more such events, it would be interesting to see if there would be more controversies revolving around her.