Harriet Dart lifts on emotional toil of backlash to 'smell gate' controversy
Harriet Dart was involved in a bizarre incident back in April after claiming that her opponent Lois Boisson smelled 'really bad' during their match and faced considerable fan criticism
Harriet Dart is keen to put her controversial clash with Loic Boisson behind her after telling her former opponent that she 'smells really bad'. The two came together in a small tournament in Rouen in April.
And during their showdown, Dart was heard saying to the umpire: 'Can you tell her to wear deodorant because she smells really bad?' That question was picked up by the on-court microphones, with supporters criticising the British number four on social media.
Speaking ahead of Wimbledon, Dart was asked about the incident once more and claimed that she had felt the effects. She said: 'I mean, I'd be lying if it didn't affect me a little bit.
'I'm human at the end of the day. We all make mistakes and I just try to look forward. I've gone through some difficulties these weeks and I don't always share what I go through but I'm just looking forward and preparing the best I can.
'I also don't know why we're even still talking about this. It's been months now. I feel like I answered a lot of questions that were asked of me and that's it, but I really just want to put it behind me and go forward.'
Dart immediately apologised for her comments in the aftermath. Taking to Instagram, she said: 'Hey everyone, I want to apologise 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 carry myself, and I take full responsibility. I have a lot of respect for Lois and how she competed today. I'll learn from this and move forward.'
And while Dart regrets the incident, it appears that Boisson did not hold any grudges. She jokingly tagged deodorant manufacturers Dove in an amusing post on social media. '@Dove apparently need a collab,' she wrote.
Dart and Boisson will not be reunited at Wimbledon next month. The Brit is due to take on Hungary's Dalma Galf in the first round of the women's singles.
But Boisson will not be playing at the tournament despite her dream run at the French Open where she reached the semi-finals. She was defeated in the first round of qualifying after losing to Canada's world number 197 Carson Branstine.
Elsewhere, Dart has given her thoughts on her preparations for Wimbledon. She added: 'I've played some really good players, so it's been tough. I've had a change of coaching and everything as well. So it's been kind of like a lot going on. I was much happier with my performance last week and I felt much more confident going into this week with how my level's been.'
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