Britain’s Harriet Dart has apologized for saying her opponent, France’s Lois Boisson, “smells really bad” during her comprehensive defeat at the Rouen Open on Tuesday.
During a second-set changeover, Dart, who lost 6-0, 6-3, was captured on the broadcast asking the umpire to tell Boisson to use deodorant.
“Can you ask her to put on deodorant? She smells really bad,” Dart was heard saying to the official as she struggled against the 21-year-old Frenchwoman in the first round.
The comment sparked an immediate backlash on social media, prompting Dart to address the incident on Instagram.
“It was a comment made in the heat of the moment and I truly regret it. It’s not the way I want to behave and I take full responsibility,” Dart wrote. “I have a lot of respect for Lois and the way she competed today. I’ll learn from this and move on.”
Boisson, who was already out on court while Dart was still seated, appeared to be out of earshot when the remark was made.
The victory marked a stunning upset for the 303rd-ranked Boisson, who made her first WTA Tour appearance of the season following injury. Dart, who is ranked No. 62, failed to convert any of her six break points and dropped her serve four times.
