Adolfo Daniel Vallejo Makes Heartfelt Apology to the Tennis World After Controversial Women’s Umpire Comment at Roland Garros

Adolfo Daniel Vallejo drew immense backlash for his comment on a female umpire after his second-round Roland Garros loss against Moise Kouame. The 22-year-old was greatly frustrated with the partisan crowd at the Suzanne Lenglen Stadium, who were aggressively cheering on Kouame.

He did not like how much time his opponent was given between points, and later, in an interview with Clay, he censured chair umpire Ana Carvalho for not being strong enough to handle the crowd and said that only a male umpire can handle such demanding situations. Vallejo, who was later fined by Roland Garros for his statements, has now issued an apology. Speaking to Tigo Sports, the Paraguayan said:

I want to start by offering my apologies to everyone I offended with my comments. Regarding my comments—the truth is, I expressed myself in a very inappropriate manner. And I also want to apologize again and tell you that the people I already apologized to are the references of the match to the French Federation, and, well, I want to clarify that I never intended to blame anyone for the defeat—least of all the referee, who had absolutely nothing to do with it. The only person responsible for that defeat is me, and no one else. Secondly, I don’t believe that women are incapable of officiating a match of such magnitude.

🎙️"Quiero pedir disculpas a toda la gente a la que ofendí con mis comentarios, la verdad que me expresé de una manera muy incorrecta, y aclarar que nunca quise culparle a nadie por la derrota. El único responsable soy yo y nadie más".

🎾En una visita más a #DeTaquito, el mejor… pic.twitter.com/OweV8w4USp

— Tigo Sports (@TigoSportsPY) June 3, 2026

Vallejo rallied back from two sets down against the French teenager to force a fifth set in their second-round clash on Thursday, but he squandered a 5-3 lead in the decider to lose 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 2-6, 7-6(8).

With this win, 17-year-old Kouame became the youngest male player to reach a Grand Slam third round since Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon 2003. Kouame would go on to lose in four sets to Alejandro Tabilo in the next round.

Roland Garros director Amelie Mauresmo responds to Adolfo Daniel Vallejo’s remarks

A day after the incident, Roland Garros and the French Tennis Federation issued a statement calling Adolfo Daniel Vallejo’s remarks “unacceptable” and mentioned that he would receive “significant sanctions.” Players reaching the second round at Roland Garros receive €130,000 ($151,000) in prize money.

Roland Garros director Amelie Mauresmo informed reporters at the tournament that Daniel Vallejo had been issued a €65,000 fine, “representing roughly half of his prize money.” Organizers later clarified that the fine was in dollars, not euros. This marks the largest fine in Roland Garros history. Mauresmo commented:

It is clearly unacceptable to us, to the tournament and to the Federation, even beyond the tournament. Comments of this kind have no place here.

According to the Grand Slam rule book, players can be fined up to $100,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct, which is defined as “any misconduct by a player that is clearly abusive or detrimental to the sport.” Vallejo also apologized in a post to social media after claiming his words were misrepresented.

Also Read: Andy Roddick Lashes Out at Adolfo Daniel Vallejo in Expletive-Filled Rant for Saying Man Should’ve Umpired His Roland Garros Match