French Open organizers have fined Adolfo Daniel Vallejo after he made sexist comments after losing in five sets in the second round to Moises Kouame last week. Vallejo said it was “very difficult for a woman to be the referee” in this tournament, and after the loss (6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 2-6, 6-7), she said a man should have been the referee.
Vallejo was reprimanded by Roland Garros director Amelie Mauresmo for his critical comments and fined $65,000, half of the Paraguayan’s prize money after reaching the second round. Vallejo complained that referee Ana Carvalho was unable to control the crowd cheering for Frenchman Kouame.
“This is clearly unacceptable,” Mauresmo said. “Again, such statements have no place here.”
Vallejo cited Kouame’s “stall” during the match.
“The referee has to be a man, because the demands of the crowd are very demanding and it takes a lot of strength to fight against the crowd,” Vallejo said, according to ESPN. “The crowd was pretty insane, but I understand they were rooting for their compatriot. It was a pretty intense crowd, so I was prepared. I knew this was going to happen. To be honest, it didn’t hurt me, it actually strengthened him.”
Kosame often put his hands over his ears during games, adding excitement and energy to the home fans.
“And it’s not normal for the crowd to scream for a whole minute without making any plays,” Vallejo said. “In a game where the physical aspect is very important, if you give the players more time, obviously they will take advantage of it. The truth is that it is difficult for the referees to manage this situation as well.”
Vallejo erased a two-set deficit, survived in a deafening atmosphere, and nearly ruined one of the tournament’s fun stories. However, the events that followed cast a shadow on tennis.
Far from being remembered for his resilience and competitiveness, Vallejo became the center of controversy, with his comments about the referee drawing widespread criticism. His comments diverted the conversation from his impressive performance on tennis’ biggest stage.
That’s the unfortunate reality for Vallejo. The 21-year-old has shown enough shot-making ability and toughness to suggest bigger opportunities are ahead. But Paris was a lesson in how quickly momentum can be lost, especially when a marathon battle is overshadowed by subsequent complaints.
In the previous round, Vallejo showed little signs of faltering during an extended rally, showing his ability to stay mentally focused. That resilience was on full display throughout the first three sets of the second round at Roland Garros, where Kouame ended his trip.
From a technical standpoint, Vallejo improved from the baseline and generated intense topspin from both wings. He was very good with lateral movement and looked comfortable building points rather than relying on first-strike tennis. This is a valuable property on clay.
His stamina and patience force Koame to repeatedly score points, often leading to mistakes in long exchanges. However, Kouame gained the upper hand in the final stages of the match and won a thrilling tie-break, leading to Vallejo’s statement.
