Harriet Dart’s 'Deodorant' Comment Backfires in Defeat to Lois Boisson

British tennis player Harriet Dart has apologised after a bizarre and controversial moment during her first-round defeat at the Rouen Open, where she claimed her opponent, France's Lois Boisson, "smells really bad", only to then get comprehensively beaten.

During a second-set changeover in the 6-0, 6-3 loss, Dart was caught on the broadcast asking the umpire, "Can you ask her to put on deodorant? She smells really bad." Unfortunately for Dart, no amount of deodorant could mask what turned into a pretty stinky performance on her own side of the court. Watch the incident unfold below.

The remark lit up social media, with many calling out the unsportsmanlike moment. Dart later took to Instagram to try and clear the air.

"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," she 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 back out on court while Dart remained seated, didn’t appear to hear the comment. But she certainly responded with her racket, delivering a performance that left Dart with nothing to sniff at.

It was a huge win for Boisson, ranked 303rd and returning to the WTA Tour after injury, as she toppled the 62nd-ranked Dart without facing a single break of serve. Dart, for all her comments, couldn’t convert any of her six break points and lost her serve four times.

In the end, it was Boisson who brought the heat. Deodorant or not.