Spanish tennis star Paula Badosa has apologized after facing accusations of racism for a photo in which she pulled back her eyes with chopsticks, a gesture perceived as offensive to Asians. The image, posted on Instagram by her coach Pol Toledo following Badosa’s semi-final loss to Coco Gauff at the China Open, has since been deleted. However, the backlash continued as comments condemning the gesture remained on the post. Badosa, ranked 15th by the WTA, expressed regret for her actions.

The image posted by her Badosa’s coach, Pol Toledo.

In a now-deleted post on X, Badosa stated, “Really sorry didn’t know this was offensive towards racism,” acknowledging her mistake and taking full responsibility. She added that she would learn from the incident moving forward. In a comment on Instagram, which has also been deleted but captured by Sky News, Badosa explained that the gesture was not intended to mock Asians but was a playful moment about her face and wrinkles. She further expressed her love for Asia and emphasized her friendships with many Asian people.

This incident drew comparisons to a similar controversy from the 2008 Beijing Olympics when the Spanish Tennis Federation faced criticism for posting a photo of Olympic tennis players making the same gesture. The 2008 photo, captioned “We are prepared for China,” was widely condemned. Badosa’s apology aims to quell the criticism, but the controversy has reignited discussions around cultural sensitivity in sports.