Set, Match, and Deodorant in Women's Tennis

During a tennis match, players usually complain to the umpire about whether a ball was in or out or if there is too much noise on the court, but rarely for the reason British player Harriet Dart did. In a match at the Open de Rouen, a WTA 250 event, the current world number 112 approached the chair umpire to request that her opponent, French player Lois Boisson (ranked 301), apply deodorant.

"Can you tell her to put on deodorant? She smells awful," Dart told the umpire during a changeover in the second set, after the two players crossed paths at the net. Her unusual words were picked up by courtside microphones and have sparked a curious debate that has continued in recent days.

Hours after the match, Dart apologised on her social media. "It was a comment made in the heat of the moment, and I truly regret it. It's not how I want to conduct myself, and I take full responsibility. I have great respect for Lois and the way she competed. I will learn from this and move forward," the player wrote on Instagram, who lost the match 6-0, 6-3.

Instead of getting upset, Boisson used humour to ease the tension with her opponent. She didn't hear the comment during the match, but when she saw it had gone viral, she posted a photomontage on her social media, pretending to hold a can of Dove deodorant with a caption below saying, "We need a collaboration."

Joining the global discussion without invitation was the most controversial player on the men's circuit, Australian Nick Kyrgios, who criticised the Briton's words. "Saying these things when you're losing and getting smashed is wild," said Kyrgios, known throughout his career for controversial episodes, such as spitting in the direction of the Wimbledon crowd in 2022, making obscene comments during a match against Rafa Nadal in Indian Wells that same year, or smashing a racket in front of the chair umpire at the Miami tournament.