Vallejo Fined for Controversial Remarks at French Open

Adolfo Daniel Vallejo, a player in the French Open, has been penalized $65,000 after claiming that his second-round match should not have been overseen by a female referee, as announced by the organizers on Monday.

Recently, Vallejo faced a tough loss against France’s Moise Kouame after a grueling five-set match that stretched close to five hours. In an interview with a tennis magazine after the defeat, Vallejo stated, “These kinds of matches need male referees.”

He mentioned, “It’s very difficult for women,” following a match that ended with scores of 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 2-6, 7-6 (8).

Players reaching the second round of the French Open earn 130,000 euros (around $151,000). Roland Garros director Amelie Mauresmo informed the press that Vallejo was fined 65,000 euros, which is “roughly half of the prize money.” Interestingly, it was later revealed that Vallejo’s fine was issued in dollars rather than euros.

Mauresmo commented, “This is clearly unacceptable. Such statements have no place here,” as reported by ESPN.

Additionally, Vallejo remarked that Brazilian referee Ana Carvalho struggled to manage the enthusiastic crowd. He argued, “The referee has to be a man because the crowd is very demanding, and it takes a lot of strength to deal with that crowd.” Vallejo acknowledged the intensity of the crowd, saying it did not negatively impact him but rather pushed him to perform better.

He also criticized Kouame, claiming he “spent a lot of time lying on the floor and stalling.” Vallejo noted, “It’s not normal for the crowd to be screaming for a whole minute without any play being played. In such a physical game, if you give players extra time, they’ll surely take advantage of it. I get it’s tough for referees to handle this, too.”