Musetti Apologizes to Chinese Fans After Controversy at the China Open
Italian tennis player Lorenzo Musetti has issued a public apology to Chinese fans following an incident during his match at the China Open in Beijing. Musetti, visibly annoyed by the repeated coughing of some spectators during his victory in the round of 32 against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, was caught imitating a person clearing their throat. In addition, he was heard saying in Italian: “They cough every three seconds.” Local media reported that he was also heard uttering the phrase “damned Chinese.”Musetti acknowledged that the way he expressed himself was incorrect and inappropriate, and that it hurt the feelings of many Chinese fans. The reaction on social media was immediate, and the comments on one of his previous Instagram posts accused the tennis player of racism, along with insults and offenses towards Italian culture. American tennis player Taylor Townsend also apologized on September 17 for disparaging comments about Chinese food before the United States played Kazakhstan in the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Shenzhen, China.I would like to offer my sincere apologies for what I said yesterday in a moment of frustration during my match. My words were only directed at a few people in the audience who were repeatedly coughing and disrupting the game. They were never, in any way, 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.
Lorenzo Musetti
