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American tennis star Taylor Townsend posted an apology video on social media after she faced fierce backlash over her comments criticizing the cuisine in China ahead of the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Shenzhen.
In a video posted on her Instagram Stories Tuesday, the top-ranked doubles player addressed the controversy, which began when she made disparaging remarks about a dinner buffet in a series of earlier posts on the social media platform.
Taylor Townsend in action against Mirra Andreeva in the third round of the women’s singles at the 2025 U.S. Open at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, New York, on Aug. 29, 2025. (Mike Frey/Imagn Images)
“I just wanted to come on here and apologize sincerely from the bottom of my heart. I understand that I am so privileged as a professional athlete to be able to travel all around the world and experience cultural differences, which is one of the things I love so much about what I do,” she began.
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“I have had nothing but the most amazing experience and time here, and the tournament and everyone has been so kind and so gracious, and things that I said were not representative of that at all, and I just truly wanted to apologize.
“There’s no excuse, there’s no words, and for me – I will be better,” she continued. “I’m really, really thankful to my country to be able to represent them and to be better, and that’s all that I can do. So, I just truly apologize.”
Townsend, 29, posted videos of local dishes including bullfrogs and turtles and joked she would need to “talk to HR” about the quality of the food.
Taylor Townsend reacts after missing a shot against Barbora Krejcikova (not pictured) on day eight of the 2025 U.S. Open tennis championships at Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, New York, on Aug. 31, 2025. (Geoff Burke/Imagn Images)
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Townsend is the No. 1 ranked doubles player and has won two Grand Slam titles in doubles, at the Australian Open in January and at Wimbledon in 2024.
In 2021, wrestler and actor John Cena issued a similar apology after he faced criticism in China for calling Taiwan a country while promoting a film on a Taiwanese broadcaster.
His comments sparked an immediate backlash in China, prompting him to take to the Chinese social media site Weibo and issue an apology in Mandarin. He then shared the same video on X (formerly Twitter).
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Taylor Townsend celebrates after winning the first set against Mirra Andreeva (not pictured) on day six of the 2025 U.S. Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, New York, on Aug. 29, 2025. (Geoff Burke/Imagn Images)
Townsend is in China for the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Shenzhen. The U.S. is scheduled to play Kazakhstan in the quarterfinals on Thursday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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