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Taylor Townsend is once again at the center of controversy, this time for remarks about Chinese cuisine while competing at the Billie Jean King Cup in Shenzhen. The American doubles world No. 1 shared her disgust at several local dishes on Instagram, sparking accusations of disrespect and cultural insensitivity. The backlash has led many fans to recall her heated US Open argument with Jelena Ostapenko—where the Latvian accused her of having “no class”—and some are now suggesting Ostapenko may have had a point.
Just two and a half weeks ago, Townsend and Ostapenko clashed in a tense second-round match in New York. The dispute began when Townsend did not apologize after winning a point with the help of a net cord, which Ostapenko labeled “disrespectful.” She went further, saying Townsend had “no class” and “no education.” Although Ostapenko later apologized and clarified that her comments referred to tennis etiquette, not academics, the majority of observers criticized her harsh tone and defended Townsend.
The clips… pic.twitter.com/N1oRU084kC
— Gaby S. (@gabyserrar) September 16, 2025
Fast forward to China, and Townsend’s own words have landed her in trouble. Posting photos of dishes such as sea cucumber, bullfrog, and turtle, she expressed disbelief that people actually eat them, rating her dining experience “a solid two out of 10.”
The reaction on social media was swift and unforgiving:
“Taylor Townsend may not be uneducated or classless, but she is xenophobic.”“A bit uneducated comment. Ostapenko did have a point after all?”“Now her ignorance shows up.”“Borderline disrespectful.”“Learn different culture.”
Some comments crossed into body-shaming, with fans cruelly saying: “No way on earth she’s gonna go hungry. Just look at her.”
Facing the backlash, Townsend returned to Instagram with a video apology:
Hi everybody, I just wanted to come on here and apologize sincerely from the bottom of my heart. 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 that I love so much about what I do.
I have had nothing but the most amazing experience and time here at the tournament, and everyone has been so kind and so gracious. The things that I said were not representative of that at all, and I just truly wanted to apologize.
There is no excuse, there are no words… I will be better. I’m really, really thankful to my country and to be able to represent them and to be better. That’s all I can do. I just truly apologize.
On Thursday in Shenzhen, the United States team begins its quarterfinal tie against Kazakhstan in pursuit of a record-extending 19th Billie Jean King Cup crown. Besides Townsend, Team USA features world No. 7 Jessica Pegula, No. 18 Emma Navarro, No. 38 McCartney Kessler, and No. 50 Hailey Baptiste, who impressed during April’s qualifying stage.
Kazakhstan presents a formidable challenge with Wimbledon champion and world No. 10 Elena Rybakina, No. 61 Yulia Putintseva, former Top 40 player Zarina Diyas, and Zhibek Kulambayeva.
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