In today’s daily dose of social media, we look at the most important activities and conversations of ATP and WTA players. Serena Williams shared on social media that she was denied access to a restaurant at a luxury hotel in Paris while out with her children.
Leylah Fernandez was the guest of honour at a Toronto FC match and entered the court with a falcon on her arm to open the match. Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic continues to celebrate after winning the gold medal and Roger Federer announced a new biography.
Serena Williams is denied entry to a luxury Paris hotel
Serena Williams shared her unfortunate experience in a luxury hotel in Paris on social media. The former world number one is in Paris during the Olympic Games and was seen in the crowd several times, including during the final between Alcaraz and Djokovicon on Sunday.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion shared on social media that she tried to get to the roof of the Peninsula hotel but was denied access to food even though the restaurant was empty. The legendary ex-tennis player also lamented that the situation occurred while she was with her children.
“Oops @peninsulaparis I was denied access to the rooftop to eat in an empty restaurant in nicer places… but never with my kids. It’s always a first,” she wrote.
The hotel later apologized to Williams on its official account and invited her to come back anytime she wished: “Dear Ms. Williams, we are very sorry for the disappointment you experienced this evening. Unfortunately, our rooftop bar was actually fully booked and the only free tables you saw belonged to our gourmet restaurant L’OiseauBlanc, which was fully reserved.”
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Djokovic’s triumphant walk with the gold medal in Champions Park
Novak Djokovic continues to celebrate after winning the gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The Serb has finally achieved the gold medal that had eluded him his entire career. At 37, he has become the oldest tennis player to win a gold medal, completing the Golden Slam of his career.
The Serb was celebrated on Sunday evening with his family and close friends, but the honours continued on Monday. The 24-time Grand Slam champion appeared at Champions Park and presented his medal to thousands of people.
Djokovic walked through the park with the Serbian flag on his back and the gold medal around his neck: “Novak Djokovic greets the crowd at Champions Park with his gold medal at the Olympic Games.”
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Federer announces the release of a new visual biography
Roger Federer has announced the release of his new biographical book in a promotional video on Instagram. The 20-time Grand Slam champion is approaching two years after his retirement but remains busy with various projects around the world and with his sponsors.
The 42-year-old Swiss recently starred in the Amazon film “12 Final Days,” which depicts the final days before his retirement at the Laver Cup. He also made a notable appearance at the Dartmouth graduation speech. Now he has announced the release of his “visual biography,” which promises more than 300 pages of photos, intimate moments from his childhood and with his family, and a look back at his illustrious career.
“Tennis is a way to meet people, travel the world and learn about cultures. Every champion has a story all his own. I want it to be a story that people feel inspired by. I will always be associated with the sport,” he said in a promotional video.
Leylah Fernandez plays the last game with Toronto FC Hawkat
Leylah Fernandez was the star of the Toronto Football Club’s last match, taking the field wearing the team’s traditional falcon. The former US Open runner-up is the top local favourite for the upcoming Canadian Open and has been one of the stars of the tournament’s promotional activities.
This time she was the guest of honour at Toronto FC’s match. The 21-year-old player was out with the team’s falcon before Sunday’s match against Pachuca (Toronto won 2-1). “I think the animals love me, they just show it in a very different way,” said Leylah, while her sister Bianca Fernandez told the camera that animals usually don’t like the current world number 25.
“We’re about to walk onto the field with the falcon, oh my god, we’re about to walk the players and the referees onto the field with the falcon in Toronto. We’re going to sing the national anthem and watch a great soccer game,” said Leylah Fernandez before walking onto the field. “I’m more afraid of tripping and falling, that’s the only thing I’m afraid of and I’m known for tripping,” she said, laughing.
