US Tennis Star Taylor Townsend Apologises After Mocking Chinese Food

 

American tennis star Taylor Townsend has issued an apology after facing strong criticism for comments she made about Chinese food while in Shenzhen for the Billie Jean Cup finals. The 29-year-old, currently ranked as the world’s top doubles player, had posted videos to Instagram mocking traditional delicacies such as soft-shell turtle, bullfrog, and sea cucumber. In one clip, she joked about talking to HR, questioned whether bullfrogs were poisonous, and rated her food experience “two out of 10.” Another video showed her and teammate Hailey Baptiste laughing about a sea cucumber dish.

Her remarks quickly drew negative reactions on both English and Chinese social media platforms. The hashtag “American tennis player publicly insults Chinese food” began trending on Weibo, where many users accused her of disrespecting Chinese culture. Critics highlighted that while she didn’t have to eat the food, mocking it was offensive. Townsend responded with an apology video, admitting her comments were wrong and insensitive. She said being able to travel and experience cultural differences was a privilege and promised to learn from the incident.

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Townsend explained in her apology that she values her global experiences as a professional athlete and wants to show more respect to cultures she encounters. “There’s no excuse, there’s no words and, for me, I will be better,” she said, adding that her time in Shenzhen had otherwise been an amazing experience. However, the backlash comes at a sensitive time for her reputation, as just weeks earlier she was involved in a heated on-court confrontation with Latvian rival Jelena Ostapenko. Ostapenko had accused Townsend of having “no class” and “no education,” comments which were later walked back but still stirred controversy.

The latest incident has reignited debates about cultural sensitivity among international athletes, especially when competing abroad. Many commentators stressed that visitors should show respect to local traditions even if they do not personally embrace them. Chinese cuisine, particularly in the south, often features dishes unfamiliar to outsiders but considered delicacies. Townsend and her teammates are preparing to face Kazakhstan in the quarterfinals, but the episode has overshadowed her tennis, placing her in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.

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