Paula Badosa breaks silence after being accused of seemingly mocking Asian people following China Open exit: "I was playing around"

Paula Badosa has responded to accusations of mocking Asian people with her gestures, offering an apology. She clarified that she never intended to offend and expressed regret for any misunderstanding caused.

Badosa began her Asian Swing campaign with an impressive performance at the China Open in Beijing. She scored a dominant win over Viktoriya Tomova, followed by victories against Rebecca Sramkova, 2024 US Open finalist Jessica Pegula, and Zhang Shuai, before facing Coco Gauff.

The Spaniard struggled to overcome the challenge posed by Gauff in their semifinal clash, ultimately losing in three sets. The American then faced Karolina Muchova in the final and went on to win the tournament.

Following her exit from the WTA 1000 tournament, Paula Badosa's longtime coach, Paul Toledo, posted a photo dump on his Instagram account. One of the pictures showed the former World No. 2 pulling her eyelids back with chopsticks, which led many fans to believe she was mocking the monolid eyes of Southeast Asians. images

Badosa has now commented on the post, explaining that she was "playing around" with her face. She expressed her love for Asia and its people, stressing that she had no intention of mocking anyone.

"Oh no please don't get it that way. Never thought it would get interpreted this way we weren't even imitating Asian people. I was playing around with my face and wrinkles. I love Asia one of my favorite people and have plenty of Asian friends. They are the kindest," she wrote.

Badosa via Instagram

The Spaniard later posted on X (formerly Twitter):

"Hey guys! Really sorry didn’t know this was offensive towards racism. My mistake. I take full responsibility. This mistakes will make me learn for next time. Hope you understand…. I love you all."

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Paula Badosa's next destination in Asia is Wuhan Open

Paula Badosa pictured at the 2024 China Open | Image Source: Getty

Paula Badosa's comeback to tennis has been nothing short of a fairytale. She returned to the court at the start of the 2024 season, following a back injury that had sidelined her since Wimbledon the previous year.

Since then, the Spaniard has been on a roll, showing remarkable consistency. Some of her notable performances this year include reaching the final of the Citi Open, the semifinals in Cincinnati and Beijing, and the quarterfinals of the US Open.

She is set to compete next in the Wuhan Open, a WTA 1000 tournament, where she will kick off her campaign against Australia's Ajla Tomljanovic on Tuesday, October 8.