*American tennis star Taylor Townsend found herself at the center of controversy in Shenzhen, China, prompting a heartfelt apology on Wednesday morning.
The world’s top-ranked doubles player faced significant backlash after posting comments about local cuisine on social media. The controversy began when Townsend shared a video of a Chinese restaurant’s offerings, followed by a post the next morning questioning the experience with a caption that read, “Imma have to talk to HR.. because what the hell.. turtle and bullfrog is WILD.”
The remarks sparked an immediate backlash, with her Instagram flooded with comments criticizing her character and calling her racist. Townsend acknowledged her mistake, saying, “I just truly want to apologize. There’s no excuse, there’s no words and, for me, I will be better.”
Taylor Townsend on the dinner buffet she saw in China:
“I’m honestly just so shocked at what I saw in the dinner buffet. As I go back and I look… these people are literally killing frogs… bullfrogs. Aren’t those poisonous? Aren’t those the ones that give you warts and boils… pic.twitter.com/IQHDp49yrZ
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) September 16, 2025
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In a video shared on her Instagram story, Townsend expressed regret for her remarks, saying, “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 went on to praise the hospitality she experienced in China, stating, “I have had nothing but the most amazing experience and time here and in the tournament. Everyone has been so kind and so gracious and the things that I said are not representative of that at all.”
Townsend is in Shenzhen for the Billie Jean King Cup finals, where Team USA is one of eight competing in the final stage. She expressed gratitude for the chance to represent her country, adding, “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.”
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