The former world No 2 tennis player Paula Badosa has apologised after a photo emerged of her appearing to imitate a Chinese face in Beijing last week.

The image, which was posted on Instagram by her coach Pol Toledo Bague, showed Badosa in a restaurant holding chopsticks up to her eyes and squinting.

When Badosa was accused of racism by other Instagram users, she initially insisted that she hadn’t been “imitating Asian people”, but was instead “playing with my face and wrinkles”. She added: “I love Asia and I have many Asian friends”.

The Spaniard then posted an apology on X which read: “Really sorry didn’t know this was offensive towards racism. My mistake. I take full responsibility. This mistakes [sic] will make me learn for next time.”

That message appeared on Monday, and on Tuesday morning Badosa – who is now the world No 15 – withdrew from this week’s event in Wuhan citing gastroenteritis.

She remains in the field for the Ningbo Open next week, although there are concerns that these sorts of social-media indiscretions can cause issues with the Chinese authorities.

In the build-up to a 2017 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in Shanghai, the model Gigi Hadid had her visa request rejected shortly after she had appeared in a social-media video where she held up a Buddha-shaped biscuit and squinted her eyes.

Badosa reached the semi-finals of the Beijing Open before losing to eventual champion Coco Gauff. She has been on a strong run of form, winning 18 of her last 22 matches to carry herself back into the top 20. Earlier this season, she admitted that doctors had told her to stop playing last year because of a persistent back injury.

Meanwhile, British No 1 Katie Boulter lost her first-round match in Wuhan to Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko. Boulter’s serve came under heavy pressure as she was broken six times in 10 games, and this proved to be the decisive factor in her 6-2, 7-5 defeat.