Musetti Apologizes to Chinese Fans After Incident at China Open
Italian tennis player Lorenzo Musetti has publicly apologized to Chinese fans after an incident that occurred during his match at the China Open in Beijing. Musetti, visibly annoyed by the persistent coughing of some spectators during his victory in the round of 32 against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard on Friday, was caught imitating someone clearing their throat after a point. Furthermore, he was attributed with having uttered words in Italian that were interpreted as a criticism of those present.In a social media post, Musetti clarified that his comments were directed at a small group of people who were repeatedly coughing and interrupting the game, and not at the Chinese people in general. He acknowledged that the way he expressed himself was inappropriate and regretted having hurt the feelings of many fans. The incident has sparked a debate about the players’ behavior and respect for the fans. Lorenzo Musetti’s Instagram post: “My words were directed only to a few individuals in the crowd who were repeatedly coughing and disrupting the game. Never, in any way, were they directed at the Chinese people. It happened in a moment of stress and tension in the second tiebreak, but even so, this is no excuse. I realize that the way I expressed myself was incorrect and inappropriate, and it hurt the feelings of many Chinese fans.” This incident is reminiscent of another involving American tennis player Taylor Townsend, who apologized on September 17th for derogatory comments about Chinese food before a United States match against Kazakhstan in the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Shenzhen, China. Townsend had posted videos of local dishes, including frogs and turtles, and joked about the quality of the food, which generated a negative reaction online. Subsequently, he apologized via Instagram.I would like to sincerely apologize for what I said in a moment of frustration yesterday during my match.
Lorenzo Musetti
