‘I will be better’: American tennis star Taylor Townsend apologizes after Chinese food comments

By Ben Church, CNN

(CNN) — American tennis player Taylor Townsend has apologized for making negative comments about food in China.

The 29-year-old, who is currently in the Chinese city of Shenzhen for the Billie Jean King Cup Finals, posted several videos to her Instagram Story where she expressed shock at some of the food being served.

Some of the dishes included turtle, bull frogs and sea cucumber – all considered traditional ingredients in China and many other parts of the world.

“This is the craziest thing I’ve ever seen… and people eating this,” she said in a caption on one of her videos.

“Imma have to talk to HR… because what the hell… turtle and bull frog is wild,” she wrote on another picture of a menu posted on Instagram.

Townsend, who is the women’s top ranked doubles player, quickly came under fire for her comments.

It sparked notable outcry on Chinese social media, with the hashtag “American tennis player criticizes Chinese food” being viewed millions of times on Weibo.

One comment wrote: “It’s normal not to eat offal, bullfrogs, turtles. As a Chinese, I don’t eat these either, but you have to show respect. Just because you don’t like them doesn’t mean everyone feels the same.”

Another said it felt like “prejudice and discrimination.”

The criticism prompted an apology video posted on Townsend’s Instagram Story.

“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, adding how kind people at the tournament had been this week.

“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.”

The backlash comes after Townsend was involved in a heated exchange with Jelena Ostapenko during the US Open last month.

Ostapenko later apologized for saying the American had “no class” and “no education” when the pair clashed at the end of their second-round match, a moment triggered by Townsend not apologizing for a net-cord point earlier in the encounter.

Townsend is now part of the US team playing in the Billie Jean King Cup Finals and will feature in the quarterfinal against Kazakhstan this week.

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CNN’s Fred He contributed reporting.