Italian tennis star Lorenzo Musetti has issued a public apology for his behavior at the China Open.
Musetti had a problem with the Beijing crowd during his match against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard on Friday. He was mad about fans coughing in between his first and second serves. The No. 9 player in the world was caught saying this about the fans: “They are always coughing, these f—ing Chinese. They are always coughing, for f—‘s sake. They cough every three seconds.”
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Even though Musetti won the match on Friday, he lost a few fans due to his remarks on the court.
Sep 3, 2025; Flushing, NY, USA; Lorenzo Musetti (ITA) hits a shot against Jannik Sinner (ITA) (not pictured) on day eleven of the 2025 US Open tennis championships at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
On Saturday morning, Musetti walked back his comments at the China Open. He said he didn’t intend to hurt Chinese fans’ feelings.
“I would like to sincerely apologize for what I said in frustration yesterday during my match,” Musetti wrote. “My words were directed only at a few individuals in the crowd who were coughing repeatedly and disturbing the play. They were never, in any way, meant for the Chinese people. It happened in a moment of stress and tension in the second tiebreak, but still, this is no excuse at all. I realize that the way I expressed myself was wrong and inappropriate, and it hurt many Chinese fans’ feelings. I deeply regret it and feel very remorseful.
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“I have always admired the Chinese people and I truly appreciate playing in your country. I have been coming back to China since 2018 and I always feel very welcome here. I am grateful for the incredible support I constantly receive and for the many fans I have in China. Once again, I am truly sorry. I respect you deeply, I feel at home here, and I value the warmth and kindness I have always received from you.”
Musetti isn’t the only star facing backlash.
Earlier this month, American tennis star Taylor Townsend posted a video on Instagram of her criticizing the buffet options in China.
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“I’m honestly just so shocked at what I saw in the dinner buffet,” Townsend said in a video. “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? And the fact that it’s all stewed up with chillies, peppers, and onions. Like oh, you really made this a dish. All in all I’d give this like a solid 2 out of 10 so far, because this is crazy.”
Townsend was accused of taking unnecessary digs at Asian food culture. She eventually apologized for her remarks.
“I just wanted to come on here and apologize sincerely from the bottom of my heart,” Townsend said in a video shared on Instagram. “I understand that I’m 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’ve had nothing but the most amazing experience and time here. The tournament and everyone [here] has been so kind and gracious. The things I said were not representative of that at all. I wanted to truly apologize. There’s no excuse, there’s no words. I will be better. I am really thankful to my country to be able to represent them. I truly apologize.”
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We’ll see if fans end up changing their opinion of Musetti and Townsend because of these incidents.
This story was originally reported by The Spun on Sep 27, 2025, where it first appeared in the Tennis section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.