Taylor Townsend apologizes for criticizing the

U.S. tennis star Taylor Townsend wasn’t ready for some of the food she can be supplied while collaborating in the Billie Jean King Cup Finals match in Shenzen, China.

She apparently was also not anticipating the backlash she confronted after she posted her criticism of some of the local dishes — which included bullfrogs, turtles, sea cucumbers and, in her phrases, “an animal lung” that was “sliced up” and on a skewer — on Instagram.

Those posts have since been eliminated, and Townsend has posted a video on her Instagram Story in which the world’s top-ranked doubles participant apologizes “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,” Townsend said.

“I have had nothing but the most amazing experience and time here … and everyone has been so kind and so gracious. And the things that I said were not representative of that at all.”

The 29-year-old Townsend’s identify was in the headlines during last month’s U.S. Open. After Taylor defeated Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko in the second spherical of the singles competitors, the gamers appeared to have a heated dialogue.

Afterward, Townsend told reporters that Ostapenko “told me I have no education, no class.”

Ostapenko later apologized on her Instagram Story and explained that English isn’t her native language. “So when I said education,” Ostapenko wrote, “I was speaking only about what I believe [is] tennis etiquette, but I understand how the words I used could have offended many people beyond the tennis court.”

Townsend is one of six gamers representing the U.S. in the worldwide group match in Shenzen. Earlier this week, she posted video of some of the food she and her teammates had been supplied, apparently as half of a buffet. She also added a video of herself from later in the night in which she criticized some of the choices.

“I’m honestly just so shocked I like what I saw in the dinner buffet … These people are literally killing frogs. Bull frogs. Aren’t those poisonous? Like, aren’t those the ones that be giving you warts and boils and stuff?” Townsend said. “And turtles? And the fact that, like, it’s all stewed up with, like, chilies and peppers and onions and like, ‘Oh, you really made this a dish?’

“And then you got the sea cucumbers just staring there, like with the noodles, the only thing that we eat. So all in all, gotta give this like a solid 2 out of 10 so far, because this is crazy.”

One portion of the video, which confirmed parts of the buffet unfold, featured the caption, “This is the craziest thing I’ve ever seen … and people are eating this,” adopted by emojis of a melting face and a face screaming in worry.

The feedback went viral on Chinese social media, with many commenters slamming Townsend as culturally insensitive.

Townsend’s apology comes as the U.S. prepares to face Kazakhstan on Thursday in the quarterfinals.

“I just truly wanted to apologize,” Townsend said in the new video. “There’s no excuse, there’s no words, and for me, I just — I will be better.”