Tennis star Lois Boisson has responded after her opponent, Harriet Dart, suggested she needed deodorant during their match.
Harriet Dart was overheard on court microphones criticizing Lois Boisson`s personal hygiene during her 6-0, 6-3 defeat in the first round of the Open de Rouen.
During a changeover, Dart, 28, reportedly asked the chair umpire to tell her opponent to wear deodorant, stating, “Can you tell her to wear deodorant? Because the smell. Can you tell her to wear deodorant? She smells really bad.”
These remarks could potentially lead to sanctions from the WTA, the governing body for women`s tennis, for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Dart, who recently participated in the Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers, was defeated in the first set by Boisson in just 28 minutes.
Boisson reacted humorously to the situation, posting a mock advertisement on Instagram featuring Dove deodorant.
She jokingly wrote, “@Dove apparently need a collab.”
Boisson, a wildcard entrant, was making her first WTA Tour appearance of the season after recovering from an injury.
Dart, currently ranked 110th in the WTA world rankings, was playing in only her second clay-court match of the season.
Following the incident, Dart issued an apology on Instagram, stating: “I want to apologize 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 conduct myself, and I take full responsibility. I have a lot of respect for Lois and her performance today. I will learn from this and move forward.”
