"Smells bad, put on deodorant"... British player shocked after insulting opponent

Exposed to Fans Live on Air
"An Emotionally Driven Remark... I Truly Regret It"

A British tennis player apologized after causing controversy by telling her opponent to "put on deodorant."

On the 16th (local time), the British BBC reported, "Harriet Dart (28) said 'put on deodorant' during her first-round match against France's Lo?s Boisson (21) at the WTA Tour France Rouen Open."

Lois Boasson. Lois Boasson Instagram

According to the report, during the break between the second set, Dart told the umpire, "Please tell Boisson to put on some deodorant. The smell is really bad." This moment was broadcast live, exposing the comment directly to fans.

After the controversy, Dart quickly apologized. She said on Instagram, "I want to apologize for what I said on the court today. It was an emotional and inappropriate remark, and I sincerely regret it."

Ranked 110th in the WTA and the fourth highest-ranked British player, Dart was defeated 0-2 (0-6, 3-6) by Boisson, who is ranked 303rd. It appears that Dart made the inappropriate comment out of frustration.

Dart added, "I take full responsibility for my mistake. I have great respect for Lo?s's performance today," and "I will learn from this experience and strive to be a better person." Boisson, who was on the court and did not directly hear the comment when Dart spoke to the umpire on the bench, responded cleverly. She posted a photo of 'Dove' deodorant on Instagram with the caption, "Looks like a collaboration is needed."