Shenzhen: American tennis star Taylor Townsend has issued an apology after facing criticism for comments she made on social media regarding Chinese cuisine. The 29-year-old athlete, currently in Shenzhen for the Billie Jean King Cup Finals, shared videos on Instagram where she expressed her surprise at dishes featuring frogs, turtles, and sea cucumbers, describing them as “the craziest thing” she had ever seen.
According to BBC, Townsend’s remarks quickly sparked backlash across both English and Chinese social media platforms. These dishes are considered traditional delicacies in China, especially in the southern regions. In her videos, Townsend questioned the safety of consuming frogs and turtles, rating the experience as “a solid two out of 10” and expressing disbelief at the culinary practices.
In another video, Townsend appeared at a buffet with her teammate Hailey Baptiste, where they mocked a sea cucumber dish. The videos led to social media users calling out Townsend for her comments, with one user on X stating, “Won’t defend Taylor here, clearly offensive and shocks a lack of understanding [that] there are different cultures other than USA.” Another user added, “It’s really offensive to mock other people’s cultural food.”
Chinese social media was quick to react, and the hashtag “American tennis player publicly insults Chinese food” gained traction. A comment on Weibo emphasized the importance of respecting local customs and culture while traveling, suggesting, “When you go overseas, respect the local customs and culture. You can choose not to eat it. There is no need to belittle our food.”
This incident follows another controversy involving Townsend less than a month ago when she engaged in a heated exchange with her Latvian rival Jelena Ostapenko. Ostapenko’s comments about Townsend lacking “class” and “education” were later clarified as references to tennis etiquette, with Ostapenko apologizing for any unintended offense.
As the controversy unfolds, Townsend and her teammates are preparing to face Kazakhstan in the quarter-finals scheduled for Thursday.