French tennis star breaks silence after being told she 'smells really bad' by Brit rival Harriet Dart
16 April 2025, 15:43
A tennis player who was told 'she smells really bad' by her British opponent has responded to the allegations with a light-hearted social media post.
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Lois Boisson beat Harriet Dart 6-0 6-3 at the Rouen Open on Tuesday, but her victory was soured by comments made by the British number four during the match.
During a changeover in the second set, TV cameras picked up 28-year-old Dart asking the umpire to tell her french counterpart to "wear deodorant".
She could be heard saying: "Can you tell her to wear deodorant? Because the smell. Can you tell her to wear deodorant? She smells really bad."
Boisson did not hear the comments whilst on the court, but did provide a light-hearted response on Instagram post-match.
Sharing a edited photo of herself holding a Dove deodorant can and tagging the brand's account, the 21-year-old joked: "Dove, apparently need a collab."
Dart also took to Instagram to tell fans she "truly regretted" her comments and claimed they were made in the "heat-of-the-moment".
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Posting onto her story, Dart said: "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. 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."
Tuesday's defeat was only Dart's second game on clay this season, after she crashed out of the Charleston Open last month in a first round loss to Varvara Gracheva.
It was not the start that she would have been looking for after an impressive 2024, which saw her achieve a career high ranking of 70 and reach her first WTA singles semi-final at the Transylvania Open, as well as represent Great Britain at the Billie Jean King Cup.
