Townsend Apologizes for Comments About Chinese Food in Shenzhen

Taylor Townsend Apologizes for Comments About Chinese Food

American tennis player Taylor Townsend offered apologies “from the bottom of her heart” for derogatory comments about Chinese food. Townsend’s original social media comments, followed by her apology, came before the United States’ match against Kazakhstan at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Shenzhen, China. Townsend, 29 years old and the world’s number one in doubles, shared videos of local dishes, including frogs and turtles, and joked that he would need to “talk to Human Resources” about the quality of the food.

Taylor Townsend’s Instagram Post

On Wednesday, the tennis player once again used Instagram to apologize after receiving online criticism.

“I just wanted to come here and sincerely apologize from the bottom of my heart,” said Townsend, who acknowledged her privilege as a professional athlete to travel the world and experience cultural differences.

Taylor Townsend

“It’s one of the things I love most about what I do, and I’ve had an incredible experience during my time here and at the tournament,” Townsend added. “Everyone has been so kind and gentle. And what I said was not representative of that at all. I really wanted to apologize. There’s no excuse. There are no words. And for my part, I will be better.” The United States is scheduled to play against Kazakhstan in the quarterfinals on Thursday.