"I just wanted to come on here and apologize sincerely from the bottom of my heart," Townsend said in her video. "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 most about what I do. I have had nothing but amazing experiences and the tournament and everyone here has been so kind and gracious. The things I said did not reflect that, and I truly wanted to apologize."
The American athlete, a two-time Grand Slam doubles champion, is currently in China to compete in the 2025 Billie Jean King Cup. In the now-deleted clips, Townsend reacted with shock to several local dishes. At one point, she remarked, "What the hell? This is crazy. I have never seen one of these up close, especially not to eat," in reference to sea cucumbers. In another video, she questioned whether bullfrogs were poisonous, suggesting they might cause "warts and boils."
Her remarks quickly drew criticism on Chinese social media platforms. Some users said it was normal for travelers to encounter foods they were unfamiliar with but called it inappropriate to publicly express disgust. One Weibo commenter noted, "It's totally normal to come across foods that aren't your taste when competing abroad, but it's really inappropriate to openly express disgust to the world."
This controversy comes not long after Townsend was involved in a heated exchange with Jelena Ostapenko at the US Open, during which the Latvian player accused her of lacking class and education before later apologizing. That incident sparked its own wave of discussion, with Naomi Osaka publicly criticizing Ostapenko's remarks.
In her latest apology, Townsend emphasized that she intends to learn from this moment. "There is no excuse, there's no words, for me, I just, I will be better," she said. "I'm really thankful to my country for the chance to represent them and to keep improving, and that's all I can do. I truly apologize."