Big fine, half prize money after sexist remarks at Roland Garros of ATP number 71: “It's something unacceptable”
Article by Luminița Paul – Published on Monday, 01 June 2026, 14:12 / Updated on Monday, 01 June 2026 14:15
The organizers of the second Grand Slam tournament of the year severely penalized him Adolfo Daniel Vallejothe Paraguayan player to pay €65,000 following sexist remarks made after his second-round match loss to French teenager Moise Kouame (17), 3-6, 5-7, 6-3, 6-2, 6-7 (8).
The amount represents half of the prize due for qualification in the second round, which is of 130,000 euros.
“It is something unacceptable for us, for the tournament, for the federation and even beyond the tournament. Such speech does not take place here”, said Amelie Mauresmo, director of Roland Garros, in a press conference held on Monday, June 1.
The South American took aim at Brazil's Ana Carvalho, the party's chair umpire, stating that “such matches should be led by a man, it is very difficult for a woman. A male referee is absolutely necessary because the crowd is very difficult to control and it takes a lot of strength to be firm against the fans”.
Adolfo Daniel Vallejo then presented his apology
Adolfo Daniel Vallejo at Roland Garros 2026 Photo: Imago Images
“The crowd went way overboard, but I understand that they support their compatriot. It's a pretty passionate crowd and that's why I was prepared, I already knew it was going to be like that, and to be honest, it didn't affect me, on the contrary, it made me stronger,” he continued.
Vallejo added that Kouame “wasted a lot of time on many occasions, lying on the clay or running out of time”.
“And it's not normal for the crowd to shout for a whole minute without the match going on. In a game where physicality matters so much, if you give a player a lot of time, it's obvious they'll take advantage of it. The truth is that it is difficult even for a referee to handle this situation“, said the Paraguayan still under the impression of what happened in the duel that lasted almost five hours.
Vallejo, making his first major-tournament appearance on the board, explained himself after the controversy in an Instagram post, writing that his remark “wasn't meant to be interpreted that way” and pointing out that “good work throughout the match” of the chair umpire, which he does not consider “responsible for his defeat“.
