Smy Tennis News|Harriet Dart Apologises After Deodorant Comment During Rouen Open Loss

Harriet Dart, Britain’s number four, publicly apologised after making a controversial remark about her opponent’s body odor during a first-round defeat to France’s Lois Boisson at the Rouen Open. The incident occurred during a changeover in the second set and has since drawn attention online. Dart expressed regret for her words and emphasized her respect for Boisson.

Harriet Dart Apologises After Deodorant Comment During Rouen Open Loss

Harriet Dart has apologised after a remark made during her first-round loss at the Rouen Open, in which she asked the umpire to tell her French opponent Lois Boisson to "put on deodorant".

The British number four was defeated 6-0, 6-3 by Boisson in a match that saw her struggle to find rhythm, with the opening set lasting only 28 minutes.

During a changeover in the second set, Dart was heard on the match broadcast addressing the chair umpire, saying: “Can you ask her to put on deodorant? She smells really bad.”

Following the match, Dart issued a statement via her Instagram story:
“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, who had returned to the court while Dart remained seated, appeared to be out of earshot when the comment was made. She later responded in a light-hearted way on her own Instagram story, sharing an edited image of herself holding a deodorant can and tagging Dove with the caption, “Apparently need a collab.”

Lois Boisson, 21, currently ranked 303 in the world, is making her first WTA Tour appearance of the season following an injury layoff. She claimed a confident win against Dart, ranked 62nd, breaking her serve four times and saving all six break points faced.

Dart, 28, was competing in only her second clay-court match of the season, having previously lost in the first round of the Charleston Open to Varvara Gracheva.

Smy Sport has reached out to the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) for comment regarding the incident.