British tennis player Harriet Dart sparked controversy at the Open de Rouen by suggesting her opponent, Lois Boisson, should wear deodorant due to an unpleasant smell.
During her first-round match against Boisson, which she lost 6-0, 6-3, Dart, the British No. 4, was overheard on court-side microphones making the comments to the umpire.
In a moment captured by microphones, Dart can be heard saying to the umpire: “Can you tell her to wear deodorant? Because the smell… Can you tell her to wear deodorant? She smells really bad.”
Dart`s remarks have been described as “unkind” and could potentially lead to scrutiny from the WTA for unsportsmanlike conduct.
On the court, Dart struggled against Boisson, losing the first set in just 28 minutes. While she showed more resilience in the second set, she couldn`t convert any of her break points.
Boisson, a wildcard entrant in the tournament, was making her first WTA appearance of the season after recovering from an injury. Dart is currently ranked world No. 110.
Following the match and the controversy, Dart issued a public apology on Instagram, stating: “I want to apologise for what I said on court today, it was a heat-of-the-moment comment that I truly regret. That’s not how I want to carry myself, and I take full responsibility. I have a lot of respect for Lois and how she competed today. I’ll learn from this and move forward.”
Boisson appeared to take the incident in good humor, posting a photo of Dove deodorant on her Instagram story with the caption: “Apparently need a collab.”
The incident occurs as Emma Raducanu is set to return to competition in Madrid, after a period of behind-closed-doors training following the Miami Open. This training block caused her to miss the Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers and the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart. Raducanu is scheduled to participate in the Madrid WTA event, followed by the Italian Open and the French Open.
