India, Sept. 29 -- An Italian tennis player has issued an apology to Chinese fans after an on-court outburst in Beijing sparked outrage. It all started after Lorenzo Musetti, 23, was set off when he heard coughing in the crowd during his match against France's Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard at the China Open on Friday.

In the second-set tiebreaker, the world No. 9 erupted at the crowd. "They are always coughing, these f***ing Chinese," he exclaimed, as per a report by the New York Post. "They are always coughing, for f**k's sake. They cough every three seconds," he said.

Musetti went on to win the match. But the on-court outburst prompted outrage on social media, with many accusing him of racism.

On Saturday, the 23-year-old took to Instag...