Musetti Apologizes After China Open Outburst

Italian tennis player Lorenzo Musetti apologized after an on‑court outburst during his China Open win over Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in Beijing, when he mimicked coughing and said in Italian “They cough every three seconds.” Local and state‑owned media reported he may have also mouthed “damn Chinese,” which went viral and angered fans on Chinese and international social media, though some outlets noted it was unclear whether the coughers were Chinese. Musetti posted on Instagram saying his remarks were aimed at a few individuals who were repeatedly coughing and disturbing play, not at the Chinese people, expressed remorse, called his expression wrong and inappropriate, and reaffirmed his respect for Chinese supporters. He advances to the China Open last 16 to face Adrian Mannarino, and the episode follows his recent Chengdu Open final loss amid wider tensions involving foreign players competing in China.