British tennis player Harriet Dart sparked controversy during her first-round defeat at the Rouen Open by asking an umpire to tell her French opponent to wear deodorant.
The 28-year-old Briton was heard on court-side microphones complaining about Lois Boisson’s personal hygiene during an ill-tempered match.
“She smells really bad,” Dart was heard saying during a changeover in the second set of her comprehensive 6-0, 6-3 loss.
The unkind public comments could potentially lead to action from the WTA for unsporting behaviour.
Harriet Dart complained to the umpire about her opponent’s smell
TennisTV
Dart addressed the umpire as she got to her feet shortly after Boisson walked past her during the second set.
“Can you tell her to wear deodorant,” Dart asked the official.
When the umpire appeared confused, Dart repeated: “Because the smell. Can you tell her to wear deodorant? She smells really bad.”
Boisson, who had walked back onto the court while Dart was still seated, appeared to be out of earshot when the comment was made.
The incident occurred during a changeover as Dart struggled against her French opponent.
Dart later apologised on social media, writing on her Instagram story: “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.
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“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.”
Dart was swept aside in the opening set in just 28 minutes by the 21-year-old Boisson.
The British number four put up a better fight in the second set but failed to convert any of her six break points.
Dart lost her serve for the fourth time in the match to trail 5-3 before Boisson served out to seal victory.
The defeat was particularly disappointing for Dart, who is currently ranked 110th in the WTA world rankings, against an opponent ranked 303rd.
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Harriet Dart later apologised on social media
This was Dart’s second clay-court match of the season, following her first-round loss to Varvara Gracheva at the Charleston Open last month.
She was recently part of the Great Britain squad that secured progress into the Billie Jean King Cup Finals, featuring in the doubles rubber against Germany.
Boisson’s victory represents a significant upset given the rankings disparity between the players.
The French player later posted several clips from the match to her Instagram story, with no mention of the deodorant comment.
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Harriet Dart asked the umpire to tell her opponent to wear deodorant
She lost the match 6-0 6-3
(h/t @popalorena)
pic.twitter.com/kk5Wm69jTd— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) April 15, 2025
The controversial outburst came months after Dart complained in January that the atmosphere during her Australian Open second-round defeat was “like a football match”.
On that occasion, she called for greater “respect” from fans.
The Rouen Open continues with top seed Elina Svitolina and British player Sonay Kartal, seeded eighth, still in the tournament.
