Brit Harriet Dart Speaks Out After Asking Lois Boisson to Wear Deodorant

British tennis star Harriet Dart has taken to social media to apologise to her Rouen Open opponent, Lois Boisson, after asking the umpire whether the latter could put on some deodorant after suggesting that she smelt ‘really bad’.

Dart, Britain’s number four, lost in straight sets to the Frenchwomen – 6-0, 6-3 – with the opening set being over within just 28 minutes, and she’s since admitted to ‘truly regretting’ what she said in the ‘heat of the moment’.

During a changeover in the second set, after Boisson walked back on to the court to restart proceedings, London-born Dart could be heard on the broadcast asking the umpire: “Can you ask her (Boisson) to put on deodorant? Because she he smells really bad.”

Boisson – who won her first WTA 125 title last year – was seemingly out of earshot when Darts’ comments were picked up by a courtside microphone, but they were brought to attention amid the outrage and criticism on social media.

Taking the comment in her stride, Boisson made light of the incident on her Instagram story and posted a picture of a roll-on deodorant can superimposed into her hand. The light-hearted post was accompanied by a captain, which read: “@dove apparently need a collab’.

Dart – who was part of Great Britain’s team to reach the Billie Jean King Cup at the weekend – also took to Instagram to apologise to her opponent. “Hey everyone, I want to apologise for what I said on court today, it was a heat-of-the-moment comment that I truly regret,” she wrote.

Making his first WTA Tour appearance of the current season as the currently-placed No 303, Boisson is working her way back up the rankings after personal struggles with injury – and, against Dart, was on her finest form as the Briton struggled to reply.

After a whitewash in the first set, Dart put up a much better fight in the second but failed to convert any of her break points as Boisson stormed to victory in her homeland. Boisson’s win over No 110 Dart – who, as a result, crashed out at the first round of the clay-court Rouen Open – will go down as a notable upset.