BEIJING — Lorenzo Musetti has emerged as the latest tennis talent to express regret to his fans in China.
“I genuinely apologize. I hold deep respect for you, I feel at home in your country, and I greatly appreciate the warmth and kindness you’ve consistently shown me,” wrote the 23-year-old Italian in a heartfelt social media post on Saturday.
Musetti experienced frustration with persistent coughing from the audience during his round-of-32 match on Friday against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard at the China Open in Beijing, where he exclaimed, “these (expletive) Chinese are always coughing.”
This outburst sparked significant backlash online, with many taking to his previous Instagram post to label Musetti as racist, accompanied by various insults towards Italian culture.
“I want to extend my sincere apologies for my comments made in frustration during my match yesterday,” Musetti elaborated in his Saturday message. “My words were aimed solely at a few individuals in the crowd whose consistent coughing interrupted the play. They were never intended to reflect on the Chinese people as a whole. It was a heated moment during the second tiebreak, but I recognize that this is no excuse.”
He added: “I understand that my choice of words was inappropriate, and it impacted many fans in China negatively.”
American tennis player Taylor Townsend also offered an apology on September 17 for her unflattering remarks regarding Chinese cuisine prior to the U.S. match against Kazakhstan at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Shenzhen, China.
Townsend had shared videos showcasing local delicacies, including bullfrogs and turtles, and jokingly mentioned needing to “speak with HR” about the food quality. Following online criticism, she turned to Instagram to apologize, expressing that “everyone has been incredibly kind and gracious.”
