Heavy punishment
Sexist statement: Tennis professional loses half of the prize money
Updated June 1, 2026 – 3:56 p.mReading time: 1 min.
After a defeat at the French Open, Adolfo Daniel Vallejo makes a derogatory statement about the referee – and pays a high price for it.
The Paraguayan tennis professional Adolfo Daniel Vallejo has to pay 65,000 US dollars at the French Open in Paris. This corresponds to half of the prize money he won. It is punishment for a sexist statement about referee Ana Carvalho after his second-round defeat.
Tournament director Amélie Mauresmo announced the amount of the penalty at a press conference. The Grand Slam tournament had previously strongly condemned “any sexist statements” and announced “a hefty fine”.
Vallejo backtracks after public outcry
The trigger was a statement by the 22-year-old that was quoted by the tennis magazine “Clay”. After his five-set defeat against 17-year-old Frenchman Moïse Kouamé, Vallejo said: “Such a match has to be officiated by a man, it is very difficult for a woman.”
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The almost five-hour match on the Suzanne Lenglen Court was characterized by a heated atmosphere. Many French people in the stands had created a great mood for Kouamé. In these conditions you need “a lot of strength to compete with the spectators,” said Vallejo.
The tennis professional apologized on Instagram. He wrote that he was “very upset and emotionally disturbed.” However, his statements were misinterpreted: “I would also like to make it clear that I don’t blame her for the defeat, she showed a good performance throughout the entire game.”
