Roland Garros to fine Paraguayan player after sexist remark about chair umpire

Adolfo Daniel Vallejo hits a volley during his second-round match against Moise Kouame on Thursday. (Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP/Getty Images via CNN Newsource)

Roland Garros is planning to impose a significant fine on Paraguayan player Adolfo Daniel Vallejo after he made a sexist remark about the female chair umpire following his second-round loss to Moise Kouame.

“Matches like this have to be umpired by a man; it’s very difficult for a woman to do it,” Vallejo told Clay Magazine in an interview after the match.

“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 it,” he added.

“The crowd was very out of line, but I understand they’re supporting their compatriot. It’s quite an intense 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 harm me but rather strengthened him.”

In response, tournament organizers announced Friday that Vallejo would face a significant sanction for his remarks, calling them “unacceptable.”

“The competence of an umpire is not determined by their gender, but by their professionalism and ability to officiate at the highest level. The outcome of a sporting event, whether positive or negative, can never justify or excuse such remarks,” the statement read.

“The tournament organisers will impose a significant sanction on Adolfo Daniel Vallejo in the form of a fine. The Roland-Garros tournament strongly condemns all sexist remarks, regardless of who makes them, and offers its support to the match umpire and, more broadly, to all the tournament’s umpiring officials.”

When asked for comment by CNN, Vallejo’s manager said in an email, “Dani has shared his thoughts publicly and has great respect for the umpire, Roland Garros and everyone involved in the sport.”

His remarks came after Vallejo’s difficult defeat to Kouame that went into a lengthy fifth-set tiebreaker.

Vallejo had come back from a two-set deficit and had opportunities to complete the comeback, but ultimately couldn’t overcome the 17-year-old budding star.

In his press conference after the match, Vallejo said the Frenchman wouldn’t have won if the same match had not taken place in Paris – such was the strength of the French backing for the home-nation player.

“I think if we were playing in another city, he would have lost,” Vallejo said.

He added, “It was the crowd for sure because many times in the third set, fourth set, fifth set, he was really tired mentally. … The crowd started to go crazy, and every point was like a Davis Cup match. I think thanks to that he started to play unbelievable.”