Paraguayan tennis player Adolfo Daniel Vallejo has been handed a landmark $65,000 fine by French Open 2026 organisers after making sexist comments about chair umpire Ana Carvalho. The punishment is believed to be one of the biggest fines ever issued at Roland Garros. It amounts to roughly half of Vallejo's prize money from this year's tournament.
“For us, things are very clear. This type of remark is not acceptable,” Roland Garros director Amelie Mauresmo told reporters while confirming the fine on Monday.
What did Daniel Vallejo say?
Daniel Vallejo courted controversy with his comments after his dramatic five-set loss to 17-year-old Moise Kouame on Court Suzanne Lenglen. Vallejo criticised Carvalho for failing to control the atmosphere and suggested that such matches should be officiated by men.
“This sort of match needs to be umpired by a man. It is very difficult for a woman to do it," Vallejo said after the crowd's obvious backing towards the French teenager.
Vallejo initially claimed his comments had been taken out of context but later issued a public apology, acknowledging that his remarks were made in the heat of the moment after a match that lasted nearly five hours.
The punishment amounts to roughly half of Vallejo's prize money from this year's tournament. Players who reach the second round receive €130,000 (around $151,000), meaning the sanction wipes out a significant portion of the 22-year-old's earnings.
The fine sends a strong message from French Open organisers and stands as one of the most severe financial penalties imposed for discriminatory remarks in tennis, overshadowing what had otherwise been one of the best Grand Slam performances of Vallejo's career.
