American Townsend apologises for comments on Chinese food

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FILE PHOTO: Aug 31, 2025; Flushing, NY, USA; Taylor Townsend (USA) hits a forehand against Barbora Krejcikova (CZE) (not pictured) on day eight of the 2025 US Open tennis championships at Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images/File Photo

REUTERS

American Taylor Townsend apologised on Wednesday for comments she made about food served at a buffet ahead of the Billie Jean King Cup finals in Shenzhen, China.

This is the craziest thing Ive ever seen ... and people eating this, she said in videos posted on social media.

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 and stuff?

The 29-year-old later apologised following a backlash.

I just wanted to come on here and apologise sincerely from the bottom of my heart, she wrote on social media.

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.

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, who was involved in a heated confrontation with Jelena Ostapenko at