The Paraguayan player is facing heat after a controversial remark about the head referee

Paraguayan player Adolfo Vallejo has found himself at the center of a major controversy at the 2026 French Open after making controversial remarks about head umpire Ana Carvalho following his dramatic second-round defeat at Roland Garros.

Vallejo sparked backlash after suggesting his five-set clash against French teenager Moise Kouame must be decided by a man. Vallejo made the comments after an emotionally charged match on Court Suzanne-Lenglen, where the 22-year-old blew a two-set lead. before finally losing 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 2-6, 7-6 (8) in a marathon lasting almost five hours.

The atmosphere in the stadium was intense throughout the match, with the Parisian crowd loudly cheering home favorite Kouame. Vallejo was visibly frustrated by what he felt was too much time between points and criticized Carvalho’s handling of the rowdy crowd.

In an interview with Clay Magazine after the fight, Vallejo said, “This kind of match has to be refereed by a man, it’s very difficult for a woman. It has to be refereed by a man because it’s a very demanding audience and you need a lot of strength to go against the crowd.”

“The crowd was very much out, but I understand that they support their compatriot. It’s a pretty 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 hurt me, it made him stronger,” added Vallejo.

ADOLFO VALLEJO BLAPPED

The remarks immediately drew criticism across the tennis world and on social media, with many fans calling the comments sexist and outdated. Several supporters have pointed out that both male and female referees regularly face criticism from players, arguing that gender has nothing to do with crowd management.

Despite the controversy, the match itself was one of the highlight contests of the tournament so far. Kouame, just 17 years old and making his Grand Slam debut, staged a stunning comeback from two sets down and later trailing 5-2 in the deciding set. The French teenager fed off the electric home support to finally overcome the final super tie-break to complete one of the biggest victories of his young career.

KOUAME STILL Gets up

Kouame became one of the biggest breakout stars of the 2026 French Open with a sensational run at Roland Garros. The 17-year-old wild card has captured the attention of the tennis world with fearless performances, stunning returns and remarkable composure under pressure.

Kouame made a spectacular comeback in the opening round, 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 player to win a Grand Slam main since 2009 and the youngest Frenchman to do so at Roland Garros in decades.

The teenager followed that up with an even more dramatic second-round victory over Paraguay’s Vallejo. Kouame will face Chilean Alejandro Tabil in the third round.

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Issued by:

sabyasachi chowdhury

Published on:

May 29, 2026 5:41 PM IST