British tennis player Harriet Dart has issued an apology after a controversial moment during her first-round loss at the Rouen Open.
Dart, the world number 62, was overheard asking the umpire to request her French opponent, Lois Boisson, to “put on deodorant,” claiming, “She smells really bad.”
The comment came during a changeover in the second set of a match that saw Dart defeated 6-0, 6-3.
Following the match, Dart took to Instagram to express regret for her remark, calling it a “heat-of-the-moment comment” and acknowledging, “That’s not how I want to carry myself.” She praised Boisson for her performance and promised to “learn from this and move forward.”
Boisson, currently ranked 303rd in the world, appeared unfazed by the incident, later poking fun on Instagram with a photo of herself holding deodorant and jokingly tagging toiletries company Dove for a “collab.”
The 21-year-old Frenchwoman is making her first WTA Tour appearance of the season and claimed an impressive victory, capitalizing on Dart’s failure to convert any of her six break-point opportunities.
The result marks another early exit for Dart on clay this season, as she continues preparations for the French Open next month.
Boisson, meanwhile, advances to the last 16, adding another highlight to her career after securing her first WTA 125 title last year.
