Paraguayan player faces heat after controversial remark on female chair umpire
French Open 2026: Adolfo Vallejo has come under heavy criticism after controversial remarks about female chair umpire Ana Carvalho following his five-set loss to teenage sensation Moise Kouame.
Paraguayan player Adolfo Vallejo has found himself at the centre of a major controversy at the French Open 2026 after making controversial remarks about female chair umpire Ana Carvalho following his dramatic second-round defeat at Roland Garros.
Vallejo sparked backlash after suggesting that his five-set clash against French teenager Moise Kouame needed to be umpired by a man. Vallejo’s comments came after an emotionally charged match on Court Suzanne-Lenglen, where the 22-year-old squandered a two-set lead before eventually losing 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 2-6, 7-6 (8) in a marathon lasting nearly five hours.
The atmosphere inside the stadium was intense throughout the contest, with the Paris crowd loudly backing home favourite Kouame. Vallejo was visibly frustrated by what he believed was excessive time being allowed between points and criticised Carvalho’s handling of the noisy crowd.
Speaking to Clay Magazine after the match, Vallejo said: “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.”
“The crowd was very out of line, but I understand they are supporting their compatriot. It’s quite an intense crowd and that’s why I was prepared. I already knew it would be like that and, to be honest, it didn’t harm me, but rather strengthened him,” Vallejo added.
ADOLFO VALLEJO SLAMMED
The remarks immediately triggered criticism across the tennis world and on social media, with many fans branding the comments sexist and outdated. Several supporters pointed out that both male and female umpires regularly face criticism from players, arguing that gender had nothing to do with crowd management.
Despite the controversy, the match itself was one of the standout contests of the tournament so far. Kouame, just 17 years old and making his Grand Slam debut, produced a stunning comeback after trailing by two sets and later being down 5-2 in the deciding set. The French teenager fed off the electric home support and eventually edged the final-set super tie-break to complete one of the biggest wins of his young career.
KOUAME KEEPS RISING
Kouame has emerged as one of the biggest breakout stars of the French Open 2026 with a sensational run at Roland Garros. The 17-year-old wildcard has captured the attention of the tennis world with fearless performances, stunning comebacks, and remarkable composure under pressure.
Kouame announced himself in spectacular fashion in the opening round by defeating former US Open champion Marin Cilic 7-6 (4), 6-2, 6-1 on his Grand Slam debut. The victory made him the youngest male player to win a Grand Slam main-draw match since 2009 and the youngest Frenchman to achieve the feat at Roland Garros in decades.
The teenager followed that up with an even more dramatic second-round victory over Paraguayan Vallejo. Kouame will next be up against Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo in the third round.
Paraguayan player Adolfo Vallejo has found himself at the centre of a major controversy at the French Open 2026 after making controversial remarks about female chair umpire Ana Carvalho following his dramatic second-round defeat at Roland Garros.
Vallejo sparked backlash after suggesting that his five-set clash against French teenager Moise Kouame needed to be umpired by a man. Vallejo’s comments came after an emotionally charged match on Court Suzanne-Lenglen, where the 22-year-old squandered a two-set lead before eventually losing 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 2-6, 7-6 (8) in a marathon lasting nearly five hours.
The atmosphere inside the stadium was intense throughout the contest, with the Paris crowd loudly backing home favourite Kouame. Vallejo was visibly frustrated by what he believed was excessive time being allowed between points and criticised Carvalho’s handling of the noisy crowd.
Speaking to Clay Magazine after the match, Vallejo said: “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.”
“The crowd was very out of line, but I understand they are supporting their compatriot. It’s quite an intense crowd and that’s why I was prepared. I already knew it would be like that and, to be honest, it didn’t harm me, but rather strengthened him,” Vallejo added.
ADOLFO VALLEJO SLAMMED
The remarks immediately triggered criticism across the tennis world and on social media, with many fans branding the comments sexist and outdated. Several supporters pointed out that both male and female umpires regularly face criticism from players, arguing that gender had nothing to do with crowd management.
Despite the controversy, the match itself was one of the standout contests of the tournament so far. Kouame, just 17 years old and making his Grand Slam debut, produced a stunning comeback after trailing by two sets and later being down 5-2 in the deciding set. The French teenager fed off the electric home support and eventually edged the final-set super tie-break to complete one of the biggest wins of his young career.
KOUAME KEEPS RISING
Kouame has emerged as one of the biggest breakout stars of the French Open 2026 with a sensational run at Roland Garros. The 17-year-old wildcard has captured the attention of the tennis world with fearless performances, stunning comebacks, and remarkable composure under pressure.
Kouame announced himself in spectacular fashion in the opening round by defeating former US Open champion Marin Cilic 7-6 (4), 6-2, 6-1 on his Grand Slam debut. The victory made him the youngest male player to win a Grand Slam main-draw match since 2009 and the youngest Frenchman to achieve the feat at Roland Garros in decades.
The teenager followed that up with an even more dramatic second-round victory over Paraguayan Vallejo. Kouame will next be up against Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo in the third round.
