French Open hands Adolfo Daniel Vallejo largest fine in history for sexist remarks about female umpire
ATP
Adolfo Daniel Vallejo has been handed a whopping 65,000 euros (£56,250) fine after sexist comments he made after losing a thrilling five-set battle against 17-year-old Frenchman Moise Kouame at the French Open.
He claimed it was unsuitable for a female umpire, in this instance Ana Carvalho, to be officiating the match. He stated this due to the partisan crowd passionately supporting Kouame as he looked to continue his progress in front of his home support.
Female umpires have been officiating men's tennis matches at Grand Slam level since 2007, almost two decades now. Vallejo would have been very annoyed after he ended up losing an absolute thrilling match of tennis.
After going two sets down, the Paraguayan mustered up what seemed to be a hugely impressive comeback as Kouame started to struggle. He was 5-2 up in the fifth and had the chance to serve it out but Kouame struck back. The tiebreak was also ridiculously tense and tight, but Vallejo would come the wrong side of a 10-8 deficit.
Afterwards, he told clay about his displeasure of the crowd not being under control. "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 is a very heavy crowd, and you need a lot of strength to go against the crowd."
A lot of backlash came from this and Vallejo responded, apologising on social media. “I want to clarify that my comments were not meant in the way they have been understood. I have respect for the umpire and for the job they do, after a 5 hours battle I was very heated and with a lot of emotions, I apologise,” he wrote.
“I also want to clarify that I didn’t blame the loss on her; she did a good job throughout the whole match. I will learn and get better with this. I also have great respect for Roland-Garros, the French Tennis Federation, and everyone involved in tennis.”
Vallejo handed huge fine
This apology has not got him out of the woods. Deemed sexist, Roland Garros’ tournament director, Amélie Mauresmo, confirmed that he would be fined by the French Tennis Federation a large 65,000 euros. This is a large chunk of his earnings from the tournament, collecting 130,000 euros for reaching the second round.
“A financial penalty was imposed, amounting to approximately 65,000 euros—roughly half of his prize money,” Mauresmo said. "As far as we’re concerned, the situation is very clear: this kind of remark is unacceptable. Neither for the tournament nor for the Federation.”
It is a sorry end to Vallejo's Grand Slam debut. A rapid rise into the top 80 has seen him automatically qualify for the tournament, getting the better of Cameron Norrie in the first round after the Brit had to retire. He was not able to repeat the fate against Kouame as he now reaps the punishment for his comments made after the match.
Lucas MichaelTennis Journalist
Lucas Michael is a tennis journalist based in Cambridge, UK, specializing in comprehensive coverage of the ATP and WTA tours. For the past 1.5 years, he has been a core contributor to TennisUpToDate, where he has authored more than 3,000 data-driven match reports, deep-dive analysis pieces, and engaging liveblogs.
Lucas pairs real-time statistical analysis with on-the-ground reporting, frequently traveling to tournaments to cover the action firsthand from the press box and player press conferences. This blend of advanced metrics and direct access allows him to provide sharp context regarding player form, tactical trends, and breaking tour developments.
He holds a BA (Hons) in Sports Journalism. Grounded in core journalistic ethics, Lucas places a strict emphasis on meticulous sourcing, editorial accuracy, and a commitment to updating live content swiftly as verified information emerges.
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