Lorenzo Musetti apologized after a controversial moment during his China Open first-round win. The Italian tennis player got heavy criticism after making comments about Chinese fans that caused ‘xenophobia’ accusations in the tennis world. Musetti took to Instagram to show his regret and explain what he meant by his actions during the match.
What Did Lorenzo Musetti Say on Instagram?
The world No. 9 got his spot in the second round of the China Open with a tough 7-6(3), 6-7(4), 6-4 win over Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard on the Lotus Court. The match went on for almost two and a half hours, with the French player dominating the match with 14 aces. Even though his opponent had 38 winners compared to his 20, Musetti managed to break serve twice out of five chances to secure the win.
But the Italian’s comeback play got completely covered up by something that happened during the second set tiebreak. After losing a big point while he was ahead, Musetti got angry at the Chinese crowd in a way that later caused huge debates on social media.
After the match, Musetti put up a long apology on his Instagram post about what actually happened. “I would like to sincerely apologize for what I said in frustration yesterday during my match,” he wrote, saying his words were only meant for certain people who kept coughing and disrupting the game.
The 23-year-old added, “They were never, in any way, meant for the Chinese people. It happened in a moment of stress and tension in the second tiebreak, but still, this is no excuse at all.” He showed regret and remorse over the way he voiced his feelings, acknowledging that it was wrong and it hurt the feelings of the home crowd.
He talked about the great reception and support he has received from the country and its people, mentioning that he has “been coming back to China since 2018, and I always feel very welcome here.”
Finally, before concluding, he apologized once again, writing, “Once again, I am truly sorry. I respect you deeply, I feel at home here, and I value the warmth and kindness I have always received from you.”
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This apology from the Italian showed he felt really bad and sorry about what happened and that his intentions were not to mock the home crowd but to let his frustration out.
Why Did Musetti Have To Apologize?
During the eighth game of the second set tiebreak, Mpetshi Perricard came back to even the score 4-4 as Musetti lost a point when the ball hit the net, losing his lead. The Italian immediately raised his hand, showing his anger and frustration.
He then pointed to his neck while speaking in Italian. He said, “Sti cazzo di cinesi…tossiscono sempre!” meaning, “Those damn Chinese…they’re always coughing!” He then said “Dai… ecco” (come on) while mocking the crowd by coughing himself. The entire stadium erupted in laughter following these actions by Musetti, but the online tennis community didn’t take it that way.
Fans on social media said Musetti’s actions were racist and xenophobic. One fan pointed out that he keeps getting away after such incidents just because he speaks Italian.
In his apology, Musetti tried to fix the damage, stating that he admires the Chinese people and likes playing in their country.
