(Video) Harriet Dart invites controversy by urging Lois Boisson to wear deodorant during their opening round match at Open de Rouen

Harriet Dart was recently part of Great Britian's team in the Billie Jean King Cup that overcame the Netherlands.

(Video) Harriet Dart invites controversy by urging Lois Boisson to wear deodorant during their opening round match at Open de Rouen

Harriet Dart ignited controversy (via X)

Harriet Dart made headlines during her match at the Open de Rouen on Tuesday (April 15). The British player made an unusual request during a break. She asked the umpire if her opponent could put on deodorant. The moment was caught by court-side microphones.

At the time, Dart was already losing badly. She had dropped the first set 6-0 and was behind in the second. The request came during a changeover. She walked up to the chair umpire to voice her concern.

YouTube video

Despite the break and the request, Dart couldn’t turn things around. She lost the second set 6-3. Her opponent, Lois Boisson, won the match in straight sets and moved on.

Can you tell her to wear deodorant? She’s smelling really bad.

Harriet Dart said to the chair umpire

The moment quickly spread online. Many social media users were confused by the situation. Some even questioned if Dart should be penalized. The incident sparked plenty of debate.

Harriet Dart’s career progression in 2025

British tennis player Harriet Dart was part of the British team that played in the Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers last weekend. The team faced the Netherlands and won, earning a spot in the main event. It was a big moment for British tennis.

Harriet Dart
Harriet Dart (black) and Lois Boisson (via X)

In the deciding match, Sonay Kartal gave Britain a strong start by winning the first singles match. Katie Boulter then lost the second, making the score level. That set up a crucial doubles match to decide who would go through.

Team captain Anne Keothavong showed trust in Boulter by picking her again for the doubles. Boulter teamed up with her close friend Jodie Burrage. The pair played brilliantly and beat the Dutch team 6-2, 6-2.

Now, Great Britain will head to Shenzhen in September for the finals. This is the third time in four years they’ve reached this stage. Before that, they had gone nearly 20 years without getting this far.

Harriet Dart takes the limelight away from Emma Raducanu

While Harriet Dart made headlines this week, Emma Raducanu is getting ready to return to action. She will make her comeback next week at the WTA event in Madrid. This will be her first match since the Miami Open, where she lost in the quarter-finals to world No. 3 Jessica Pegula.

Emma Raducanu Miami Open 2025
Emma Raducanu (via X @JJlovesTennis)

Since then, Raducanu has stayed out of the spotlight. She skipped the Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers in the Netherlands, where Britain won against both the hosts and Germany. Instead, she focused on a private training block at the National Tennis Centre.

She also missed the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart. Although she had a previous link with the tournament’s sponsors, she chose to continue training instead. Her goal was to prepare well for the clay season.

Raducanu, now 22, will begin her clay-court run in Madrid. After that, she plans to compete in the Italian Open in Rome in early May. Her clay campaign will end with the French Open in Paris later that month.