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<\/p>\n Email Link<\/p>\n \n American tennis player Taylor Townsend<\/a> has apologized for making negative comments about food in China.\n <\/p>\n \n The 29-year-old, who is currently in the Chinese city of Shenzhen for the Billie Jean King Cup Finals<\/a>, posted several videos to her Instagram Story where she expressed shock at some of the food being served.\n <\/p>\n \n Some of the dishes included turtle, bull frogs and sea cucumber \u2013 all considered traditional ingredients in China and many other parts of the world.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cThis is the craziest thing I\u2019ve ever seen\u2026 and people eating this,\u201d she said in a caption on one of her videos.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cImma have to talk to HR\u2026 because what the hell\u2026 turtle and bull frog is wild,\u201d she wrote on another picture of a menu posted on Instagram.\n <\/p>\n \n Townsend, who is the women\u2019s top ranked doubles player, quickly came under fire for her comments.\n <\/p>\n \n It sparked notable outcry on Chinese social media, with the hashtag \u201cAmerican tennis player criticizes Chinese food\u201d being viewed millions of times on Weibo.\n <\/p>\n \n One comment wrote: \u201cIt\u2019s normal not to eat offal, bullfrogs, turtles. As a Chinese, I don\u2019t eat these either, but you have to show respect. Just because you don\u2019t like them doesn\u2019t mean everyone feels the same.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n Another said it felt like \u201cprejudice and discrimination.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n The criticism prompted an apology video posted on Townsend\u2019s Instagram Story.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cI 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,\u201d she said<\/a>, adding how kind people at the tournament had been this week.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cThe things that I said were not representative of that at all and I just truly wanted to apologize. There is no excuse, there is no words. For me, I will be better.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n The backlash comes after Townsend was involved in a heated exchange<\/a> with Jelena Ostapenko during the US Open last month.\n <\/p>\n
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