Tennis Star Taylor Townsend Apologizes for Wild Reactions to Chinese Cuisine

American tennis star Taylor Townsend has apologized after her comments about Chinese food caused a stir online. Townsend, who is currently in Shenzhen, China for the Billie Jean King Cup Finals, posted videos on Instagram where she reacted to dishes featuring frogs, turtles, and sea cucumbers. She described the food as 'crazy' and 'wild,' saying, 'This is the craziest thing I've ever seen... Imma have to talk to HR... eating turtle and bullfrog is WILD. ' Her remarks quickly drew criticism on both English and Chinese social media platforms, with many accusing her of disrespecting Chinese culture. Townsend, who is the world's top-ranked doubles player, responded to the backlash by posting an apology video. She said, 'There's no excuse, there's no words and, for me, I will be better. ' She also expressed gratitude for the opportunity to travel and experience different cultures, saying that it is one of the things she loves most about being a professional athlete.

Townsend's initial Instagram posts showed her surprise at seeing traditional Chinese dishes such as braised soft-shell turtle with fish maw and dry pot bullfrog. These foods are considered delicacies in southern China. In her video, she commented, 'These people are literally killing frogs... bullfrogs. Aren't those poisonous? Aren't those the ones that give you warts and boils and stuff? And turtles?... All in all I'd give this like a solid two out of 10 so far, because this is crazy. ' She also posted another video with her teammate Hailey Baptiste, where they made fun of a sea cucumber dish at a buffet.

The reaction on social media was swift and critical. One user on X wrote, 'Won't defend Taylor here, clearly offensive and shocks a lack of understanding that there are different cultures other than USA. ' Another commented, 'It's really offensive to mock other people's cultural food. ' On Chinese social media, the hashtag 'American tennis player publicly insults Chinese food' began trending. A user on Weibo said, 'When you go overseas, respect the local customs and culture. You can choose not to eat it. There is no need to belittle our food. ' This incident comes just weeks after Townsend was involved in a heated exchange with Latvian player Jelena Ostapenko, who later apologized for her own comments. Townsend and her teammates are scheduled to play Kazakhstan in the quarter finals on Thursday. Townsend has promised to be more respectful and learn from this experience.