US tennis star Taylor Townsend has released an statement of regret after receiving widespread backlash for remarks she made on social media regarding traditional Chinese cuisine.
The 29-year-old, who is currently in the Chinese city of Shenzhen for the international tennis tournament, had earlier posted clips on social media in which she reacted to dishes featuring frogs, soft-shell turtles, and marine delicacies.
She referred to the dishes as “the craziest thing” she had ever seen, adding, “I need to talk to HR… consuming turtle and bullfrog is WILD.”
Her remarks quickly attracted strong reactions on multiple international and local online communities.
Ms Townsend, who is the world’s top-ranked doubles player, later expressed remorse, saying, “I take full responsibility, there’s no words and, for me, I will be better.”
“I understand that I am extremely fortunate as a professional athlete to be able to travel all around the world and experience cultural differences, which is one of the things I appreciate so much about what I do,” she shared in a video uploaded to her social media.
She added that she had “the most amazing experience” at the competition.
Earlier, she had shared her thoughts to dishes such as turtle stew and spicy frog dish, which are regarded as traditional specialties in China, especially in the southern part of the country.
In her initial video, she questioned, “Are these poisonous? Are these the ones that be giving you warts and boils and stuff?”
She also shared another video in which she and teammate Hailey Baptiste were seen joking about a marine dish offered at a buffet.
Social media users were swift to respond. One individual on a social platform stated, “Won’t defend Taylor here, clearly disrespectful and shocks a lack of understanding that there are diverse customs other than America.”
Another added, “It’s really offensive to mock other people’s cultural food.”
On local social media, the topic “US athlete publicly insults Chinese food” began gaining traction.
One social media user commented, “When you go overseas, respect the traditions and heritage. You can choose not to eat it. There is no need to disparage our food.”
This incident comes less than a few weeks after Townsend was engaged in a tense confrontation with Latvian rival Jelena Ostapenko, who had previously made remarks about her conduct on the court.
The player and her team are scheduled to compete against Kazakhstan in the quarter finals on the upcoming match day.
