Roland-Garros Fines Adolfo Daniel Vallejo $65,000 for Sexist Remark

Roland-Garros has handed Adolfo Daniel Vallejo a $65,000 fine following his comments on how his second-round match should have been overseen by a male umpire rather than a female one, tournament director Amélie Mauresmo announced to reporters on Monday.

The 22-year-old Paraguayan player lost a five-set thriller to French teenage sensation Moise Kouame in the second round on Thursday. He fought back from two sets down to force a fifth-set tiebreak, which he ultimately lost 10-8. He criticized Brazil's Ana Carvalho, a Silver Badge umpire, for not controlling the French crowd while speaking with CLAY after the loss.

"This sort of match needs to be umpired by a man," Vallejo told the Spanish-language outlet. "It’s very difficult for a woman to do it." He went on to say that while he was prepared to face the crowd's passion for their compatriot, they were "very out of line" and strengthened Kouame throughout the match.

Roland Garros Responds

Statement from the French Tennis Federation and the Roland-Garros tournament organisers#RolandGarros https://t.co/8fi84kTVui
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 29, 2026

Roland Garros and the French Tennis Federation were quick to issue a statement a day after the match, deeming Vallejo's comments "unacceptable." The statement made it very clear that the Paraguayan would receive a "significant sanction," which has now been made clear will be half of his prize-winning from the tournament.

"The competence of an umpire is not determined by their gender, but by their professionalism and ability to officiate at the highest level," the statement read. "The outcome of a sporting event, whether positive or negative, can never justify or excuse such remarks."

Vallejo took to X on Friday in a now-deleted X post per ESPN, claiming that he "never spoke about women in general" and only "spoke about the referee specifically, who didn't handle the crowd at any point during the match."

Vallejo, who is currently ranked 71st in the world, came into the tournament after a run to the round of 32 in Madrid and a loss in the qualifying rounds of Rome. Kouame went on to play World No. 36 Alejandro Tabilo in the third round, where he fell to the Chilean in four sets.

More Umpire Controversy

Jannik Sinner is being seen by the physio in the 3rd set against Cerundolo at Roland Garros.

He was up 5-1.

The score is now 5-4, 0-40 with Jannik serving for the match…

Jannik: “If I give time away, how does it work now? I can’t do it. I cannot wait.”

Umpire: “if you… pic.twitter.com/J4XUcSRTPK
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) May 28, 2026

Vallejo was not the only one with critical remarks towards a female umpire. Jim Courier didn't agree with Frenchwoman Aurélie Tourte's choice to step down from her chair and speak with Jannik Sinner while he was serving in the third set at 5-4.

The ATP World No. 1 had lost his 5-1 lead after securing a comfortable two-set lead in the match, clearly struggling physically under the intense Parisian heat on Philippe Chatrier. Sinner took longer than the allotted time allowed for serves when Tourte stepped down, and according to CLAY, discussedwhat his options were, depending on whether he was feeling dehydrated or simply wasting time.

Courier was quick to call out the unfairness towards Sinner's opponent, Juan Manuel Cerúndolo, and argued that Tourte should have started the clock given that it's highly unusual for an umpire to step down and discuss options with a player.

Cerúndolo bested Sinner 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-1, going on to defeat Martin Landaluce in a five-hour and 58-minute match, the third-longest Roland Garros match on record, before falling to Matteo Berrettini in the fourth round.

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