Taylor Townsend apologizes after comments about Chinese food draw backlash in Shenzhen
U.S. doubles No. 1 says her remarks were not representative of her experience at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals and vows to 'be better'
American tennis player Taylor Townsend issued a public apology after social media posts in which she criticized food in China drew sharp criticism ahead of the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Shenzhen.
In a short video posted to her Instagram Stories on Tuesday, Townsend said she was apologizing "sincerely from the bottom of my heart," acknowledging her privilege as a professional athlete who travels the world and saying her comments were not representative of the welcome she received. "There’s no excuse, there’s no words, and for me — I will be better," she said. "I’m really, really thankful to my country to be able to represent them and to be better, and that’s all that I can do. So, I just truly apologize."
The controversy followed a series of earlier posts in which Townsend filmed a dinner buffet and the local dishes, including bullfrogs and turtles, and joked she would need to "talk to HR" about the quality of the food. Those clips prompted immediate backlash on social media from users who called the remarks disparaging toward Chinese cuisine and culture.
Townsend, 29, is the world’s No. 1 ranked doubles player and has two Grand Slam doubles titles, winning at the Australian Open in January and at Wimbledon in 2024. She traveled to Shenzhen as part of the U.S. squad for the Billie Jean King Cup Finals, where the United States is scheduled to face Kazakhstan in a quarterfinal tie on Thursday.
Tournament officials did not immediately announce any disciplinary action publicly. In her apology, Townsend emphasized her appreciation for the tournament and the local hospitality, saying that "things that I said were not representative of that at all." The player has been competing internationally for much of her career and has previously spoken about enjoying cultural experiences on tour.
The episode follows other high-profile cases in which remarks by entertainers or athletes prompted swift backlash in China. In 2021, actor and wrestler John Cena issued an apology after naming Taiwan as a country while promoting a film on Taiwanese media, an incident that led him to post a message in Mandarin on Chinese social media.
Townsend’s apology video did not include additional detail about the social media posts, and she did not indicate any changes to her tournament schedule. The Associated Press contributed to reporting on this developing story.
