After being involved in a controversy while playing in last month’s U.S. Open, tennis player Taylor Townsend has now apologized for making disparaging comments about cuisine in China, where she is playing in a tennis tournament.
According to CNN, Townsend issued the apology on her Instagram Stories.
“I understand that I am so privileged as a professional athlete to be able to travel all around
the world and experience cultural differences, which is one of the things I love so much about what I do,” she said on the platform. “The things that I said were not representative of that at all, and I just truly wanted to apologize. There is no excuse, there is no words. For me, I will be better.”Townsend, who is currently in Shenzhen for the Billie
Jean King Cup Finals, made remarks regarding some of the food, which included turtle, bull frogs, and sea cucumber. The items that may not be what Americans are used to; in China, though, they are staples.“This is the craziest thing I’ve ever seen… and people eating this,” she said in one of her Instagram videos.
“Imma have to talk to HR… because what the hell… turtle and bull frog is wild,” was another statement folks were offended by as she stood next to a menu that listed the items.
Her impromptu food criticism, CNN observed, “sparked notable outcry on Chinese social media.” The hashtag “American tennis player criticizes Chinese food” was viewed millions of times on Weibo.
Townsend was on the good side of a controversy at last month’s U.S. Open, after Jelena
Ostapenko told her after their match that she had “no class” and “no education.” She was applauded for how she handled the situation, which happened on national TV.RELATED CONTENT: Despite 23 Double Faults, Coco Gauff Secures Victory In Canada