American tennis star Taylor Townsend has apologized after coming under fire for comments she made on social media about Chinese food.

The 29-year-old, who is in the Chinese city of Shenzhen for the Billie Jean King Cup Finals, had posted videos on Instagram discussing dishes featuring frogs, turtles, and sea cucumbers, stating: This is the craziest thing I've ever seen... Imma have to talk to HR... [eating] turtle and bullfrog is WILD.

She faced backlash on both English and Chinese social media platforms shortly after her posts.

Ms. Townsend, the world's top-ranked doubles player, later apologized, stating: There's no excuse, there's no words and, for me, I will be better.

In a follow-up video on Instagram, she expressed, 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, reflecting on her amazing experience at the tournament.

Townsend's comments had included her reactions to some of the food she saw, such as braised soft-shell turtle with fish maw and dry pot bullfrog, which are considered traditional delicacies in southern China.

These people are literally killing frogs... bullfrogs. Aren't those poisonous? Aren't those the ones that be giving you warts and boils and stuff? And turtles?... All in all, I'd give this like a solid two out of 10 so far, because this is crazy, she remarked. She later shared another video where she and her teammate made fun of a sea cucumber dish.

The backlash was swift, with social media comments highlighting the need for cultural respect. One user on X stated, Won't defend Taylor here, clearly offensive and shocks a lack of understanding [that] there are different cultures other than USA. Another added, It's really offensive to mock other people's cultural food.

Her remarks sparked trending discussions on Chinese social media, including the hashtag American tennis player publicly insults Chinese food. Many emphasized the importance of respecting local customs when traveling abroad.

This incident follows a recent confrontation involving Ms. Townsend and her Latvian rival Jelena Ostapenko, which had also drawn considerable attention. Townsend and her teammates are set to face Kazakhstan in the quarterfinals on Thursday.