Italian tennis player Lorenzo Musetti has issued apologies to the Chinese fans following an incident during his participation in the China Open in Beijing. Musetti, visibly annoyed by the constant coughing noises coming from the stands, reacted in a way that generated controversy.
Incident Details
During his round of 32 match against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, Musetti was caught imitating a person clearing their throat after a point. In addition, he was attributed with comments in Italian that were interpreted as criticisms towards the audience present.After the incident, Musetti used his social media to express his apologies.In his message, Musetti acknowledged that his words were inappropriate and regretted having hurt the feelings of Chinese fans. The reaction on social media was immediate, and the tennis player received criticism and accusations of racism, as well as insults directed at him and Italian culture. This event is reminiscent of another similar one starring the American tennis player Taylor Townsend, who also apologized for comments about Chinese food.My words were directed only to a few individuals in the crowd who were repeatedly coughing and disturbing the game. They were never, in any way, directed at the Chinese people.
Lorenzo Musetti
