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

Vallejo drew a backlash after suggesting his five-set tie against French teenager Moise Koume needed to be officiated by a man. Vallejo’s comments came after an emotionally charged match on Court Suzanne-Lenglen, where the 22-year-old surrendered a two-set lead. Before eventually losing 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 2-6, 7-6 (8) In a marathon lasting about five hours.

The atmosphere inside the stadium was tense throughout the match, with the Paris crowd loudly supporting home favorites Koume. Vallejo was clearly frustrated with what he believed to be excessive time being allowed between points and criticized Carvalho’s way of handling the noisy crowd.

Speaking to Clay Magazine after the match, Vallejo said: “A match like this has to be umpired by a man, it’s very difficult for a woman to do that. 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 the crowd.”

“The crowd was out of line, but I understand they are supporting their compatriots. It’s a pretty intense crowd and so I was prepared. I already knew it was going to be like that and to be honest, it didn’t hurt me at all, it strengthened them,” said Vallejo.

Adolfo Vallejo was criticized

The comment immediately sparked criticism from the tennis world and social media, with many fans labeling the comments sexist and outdated. Many supporters pointed out that both male and female umpires regularly face criticism from players, arguing that gender has nothing to do with crowd management.

Despite the controversy, the match was one of the most extraordinary contests of the tournament so far. Just 17 years old and making his Grand Slam debut, Koume made a spectacular comeback from two sets down and later going down 5-2 in the deciding set. The French teenager, fed by the electric home support, eventually prevailed in a final set super tie-break to complete one of the biggest wins of his young career.

The crow keeps rising

Kouame has emerged as one of the biggest breakout stars of the French Open 2026 with a sensational performance at Roland Garros. The 17-year-old wildcard has captured the attention of the tennis world with fearless performances, spectacular comebacks and remarkable composure under pressure.

Koume made his presence felt in the opening round by defeating former US Open champion Marin Cilic 7-6 (4), 6-2, 6-1 in his Grand Slam debut. The victory made him the youngest male player to win a Grand Slam main-draw match since 2009 and the youngest French player to accomplish the feat at Roland Garros in decades.

The teenager then achieved an even more dramatic win over Paraguayan Vallejo in the second round. Kouame will face Chile’s Alejandro Tabillo in the third round.

– ends