Roland-Garros: Adolfo Vallejo sparks furor with sexist claim that his match should have had a male umpire

The match

Adolfo Daniel Vallejo, the 22-year-old Paraguayan ranked 71st in the world, was eliminated by 17-year-old French wild-card entry Moïse Kouame in a five-set marathon on Court Suzanne Lenglen. The encounter lasted four hours and 56 minutes, with Kouame finally prevailing 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 2-6, 7-6 after Vallejo let slip a 5-2 advantage in the fifth set. The French crowd roared its support for the home teenager throughout.

Vallejo’s attack on the umpire

In the aftermath, Vallejo singled out Brazilian chair umpire Ana Carvalho for what he perceived as her inability to manage the intense atmosphere.

This sort of match needs to be umpired by a man, it's very difficult for a woman to do it. 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.

These comments, published by Clay magazine, provoked immediate accusations of misogyny.

Complaints about the crowd and opponent

Vallejo’s frustration extended to the behaviour of the partisan fans and what he described as time-wasting by Kouame. He claimed the crowd’s influence was decisive, stating:

Did the crowd play a role? Yes. If we had played in another city, he would have lost 100%.

Yet he also admitted that the atmosphere did not personally harm him and that he had been prepared for it. Regarding his opponent, he added:

I think he took up a lot of time on many occasions, lying on the floor or stalling. And it’s not normal for the crowd to be shouting for a full minute without any play.

Vallejo suggested that such delays gave Kouame a physical advantage.

Outcry and fallout

The sexist nature of Vallejo’s remarks drew swift condemnation on social media, with many pointing out that Carvalho is an experienced official. Tournament organisers at Roland-Garros were approached for comment. The incident has overshadowed what was otherwise one of the most gripping early-round matches of the tournament and adds a sour note to the fortnight in Paris.