How much can a few words cost at Roland-Garros? For Adolfo Daniel Vallejo, the answer is as much as $75,000. Following a blunt remark against umpire Ana Carvalho, Vallejo has landed at the center of a controversy. Even though he clarified his remarks after backlash, the director of the tournament, Amelie Mauresmo, confirmed his punishment still stands.

“Yes, a fine of €65,000 [around $75,000] has been imposed, roughly half of his prize money. So, this is clearly unacceptable to us, the tournament, and the Federation. This kind of talk has no place here,” said Mauresmo in a press briefing on Monday. (Trans. from French)

Vallejo raised a lot of eyebrows during his second-round match against Moise Kouame on Thursday. He was visibly frustrated with the way Kouame, being the local boy, was getting loud cheers from the crowd. For Vallejo, those cheers were an act of distraction. Hence, he raised an issue on the matter and questioned the chair umpire, Ana Carvalho.

“Matches like this have to be umpired by a man; it’s very difficult for a woman to do it. It has to be refereed by a man,” said Vallejo in an interview with Clay Magazine. “Because it’s a very demanding crowd and you need a lot of strength to go against it.”

The comments came after Vallejo lost a gritty five-set clash 3-6, 5-7, 6-3, 6-2, 6-7 (10). Hence, his frustration echoed more during the interview. However, shortly after, the 22-year-old Paraguayan ATP Pro came up with his explanation on the matter. While many deemed his comments sexist, Vallejo clarified that his remarks were taken out of context.

“I never spoke about women in general,” wrote Vallejo on X after the interview. “I spoke about the referee specifically, who didn’t handle the crowd at any point during the match. That said, I also didn’t say that I lost because of her. I congratulated the opponent. And it’s normal for the crowd to cheer for the home player.”

To be precise, Vallejo noted that he demanded a more authoritative and controlling umpire. Despite that, the French Tennis Federation (FFT) and Roland Garros tournament organizers condemned the 22-year-old’s comments as “unacceptable” on Friday. While initially they didn’t impose any fines, Amelie Mauresmo has confirmed the latest development around the controversy.

To reach the second round in the 2026 French Open, Vallejo earned around $151,000. However, with the fine imposed of around $75,000 (€65,000), the Paraguayan ATP Pro will take home only half of the prize money.

However, this isn’t the first time a player has received a fine during the French Open. Back in 2024, Terence Atmane was fined $25,000 for hitting a spectator in the stands with a tennis ball. Amid that, Vallejo’s matter has now been put to a close. But when it surfaced, it fumed many.

Andy Roddick berates Adolfo Daniel Vallejo for his comments at the French Open

Andy Roddick was very loud when the remarks of Adolfo Daniel Vallejo reached his ears. During a recent discussion on Served, the former World No. 1 gave a detailed explanation of what went wrong for the 22-year-old French Open star.

“Don’t get me f****** started on that a**hole,” said Vallejo. “Is there any irony in the fact that a woman was umpiring the match, and he said to control the crowd, there needs to be a man up there? Which I found ironic because the guy that he lost to isn’t technically a man yet, he’s 17. Just imagine if you had been playing a man, how badly it would have gone for you? F*** off. I can fight the premise of even thinking that, and then there’s another level of anger, but for someone being so f****** stupid to say it out loud.”

Moise Kouame, 17, stood against Adolfo Daniel Vallejo in that match. For the promising star, playing a competitive game against a more experienced Vallejo was already a big thing. But when the 22-year-old Paraguayan star lashed out by questioning the umpire’s antics after his defeat, it fumed Roddick.

As things stand, while Vallejo exited from the second round of the 2026 French Open, Kouame had a tough night in the third-round match. On Saturday, he faced Alejandro Tabilo, who defeated him in a four-set clash (4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6).