Adolfo Daniel Vallejo is set to be fined by Roland Garros organisers after he publicly questioned whether a woman should have umpired his second-round match at the French Open. The Paraguayan, ranked 71st in the world, lost a gruelling five-set battle to 17-year-old French wildcard Moïse Kouamé on Thursday, and instead of crediting his opponent, directed his frustration at Brazilian chair umpire Ana Carvalho, making remarks that tournament officials swiftly labelled 'unacceptable.'
What did Adolfo Vallejo actually say about the female umpire?
Speaking to Clay magazine after the defeat, Vallejo was blunt. 'This sort of match needs to be umpired by a man, it's very difficult for a woman to do it,' he said. 'It has to be refereed by a man, because it's a very demanding crowd and you need a lot of strength to go against the crowd.'
His frustration stemmed from the electric atmosphere on Court Suzanne Lenglen, where Kouamé's compatriots roared their teenager through a match that stretched nearly five hours. Vallejo felt the crowd noise was allowed to run too long between points, and he accused Kouamé of deliberately stalling. 'I think he took up a lot of time on many occasions, lying on the floor or stalling. It's not normal for the crowd to be shouting for a full minute without any play,' he said.
Vallejo also acknowledged the crowd's intensity but felt its influence was mismanaged. 'The crowd was very out of line, but I understand they are supporting their compatriot. In a match where the physical aspect matters so much, if you give a player a lot of time, he's obviously going to take advantage of it.' Under ATP rules, players have 25 seconds between points, though umpires can exercise discretion when crowd noise is a factor.
How did Roland Garros respond to the sexist comments?
The French Tennis Federation and Roland Garros officials did not hesitate. Their statement was direct: 'The competence of an umpire is not determined by their gender, but by their professionalism and ability to officiate at the highest level. The outcome of a sporting event, whether positive or negative, can never justify or excuse such remarks.'
The tournament also announced it would impose a financial penalty on Vallejo. 'The Roland-Garros tournament strongly condemns all sexist remarks, regardless of who makes them, and offers its support to the match umpire and, more broadly, to all the tournament's umpiring officials.'
As for the match itself, Kouamé's run was remarkable on its own terms. The 17-year-old, playing just his second Grand Slam main draw, came through 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 2-6, 7-6(8) in just under five hours, fighting back from two sets to one down and saving a match tiebreak that went to 8-6. That story, largely, was overshadowed by what came after.
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Prantik Prabal Roy is a passionate sports writer who eats, breathes, and lives the game. Since 2020, he has been in the content writing industry after completion of his Master's degree in English literature and covering the NFL since 2024 with sharp insights, while also diving into the NHL and MLB with equal enthusiasm. He loves crafting content that drives traffic without sacrificing quality. He blends storytelling with analysis to keep readers hooked. When he's not writing, Prantik can be found cheering on the Buffalo Bills or diving into books that celebrate the world of sports.
