US Tennis Star Sorry for the offensive ‘comments” on Chinese cuisine

American tennis star Taylor Townsend apologized after being criticized for comments that she made on social networks on Chinese cuisine.

The 29 -year -old man who is in the Chinese city of Shenzhen for the final of the Billie Jean King Cup, had published videos on Instagram in which she talked about dishes that presented frogs, turtles and seas cucumber, saying: “It is the craziest thing I have ever seen … Imma must speak to HR … (eat) Turtles and a bull are wild.

She quickly faced reactions on social media platforms in English and Chinese.

Ms. Townsend, who is the best classified double player in the world, apologized later saying: “There are no excuses, there are no words and, for me, I will be better.”

“I understand that I am so privileged as a professional adhesive to be able to travel all over the world and to discover the cultural differences, which is one of the things that I love so much in what I do,” she said in a video published on Instagram on Wednesday, adding that she had “the most incredible experience” of the tournament.

Townsend got caught up earlier on Instagram a day to share her reaction to part of the food she saw being served in a restaurant, including dishes like braised soft shells with a mouth of fish and a dry pot.

These are considered traditional specialties in China, especially in the South.

“These people literally kill the frogs … are the Ouaouarons. Are they not toxic? Are they not those who give you warts, boils and stuff? And turtles? … Overall, I would give it like a solid two out of 10 so far, because it’s crazy,” said Ms. Townsend.

She also published another video where she seemed to be in a buffet with her teammate Hailey Baptiste, the two mocking a sea cord dish.

She was quickly called on social networks.

“I do not defend Taylor here, clearly offensive and shocks a lack of understanding (that) there are different cultures other than the United States,” said a user on X.

“It is really offensive to make fun of the cultural food of others,” said another.

Chinese social media quickly highlighted his comments, and the hashtag “the American tennis player publicly insults Chinese cuisine” began to tend.

“When you go abroad, respect local customs and culture. You can choose not to eat it. It is not necessary to minimize our food,” said a comment on Weibo.

The last reaction comes less than a month after Ms. Townsend had an animated confrontation with her Latvian rival Jelena Ostapenko in which the latter said that she had “no class” and “no education”.

Ms. Ostapenko apologized but denied being racist, saying that her comments referred to the tennis label. “But I understand how the words used could have offended many people beyond the tennis court,” she wrote in an Instagram post.

Thursday, Ms. Townsend and her teammates are expected to face Kazakhstan for the quarter -finals.