Adolfo Daniel Vallejo has sparked controversy by claiming that his second-round match at the French Open should not have been officiated by a woman, arguing that Brazilian umpire Ana Carvalho was unable to keep the home crowd under control.
Match Overview
Vallejo faced French teenager Moïse Kouamé on Thursday in what became one of the tournament's most gripping encounters. Kouamé, aged 17, was loudly supported by his compatriots on Court Suzanne Lenglen, ultimately winning 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 2-6, 7-6 (8) after an epic four hours and 56 minutes.
Vallejo's Criticism
Vallejo expressed dissatisfaction with the time Kouamé was allowed between points and contended that Carvalho, an experienced official, lacked the strength to manage the crowd effectively. Speaking to Clay magazine, the Paraguayan stated: “This sort of match needs to be umpired by a man, it’s very difficult for a woman to do it. 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.”
Under the rules, players are permitted 25 seconds between points, with a clock visible on the scoreboard. However, umpires have discretion to delay the countdown when crowd noise is excessive.
Crowd Behavior
“The crowd was very out of line, but I understand they are supporting their compatriot,” Vallejo added. “It’s quite an intense crowd and that’s why I was prepared. I already knew it would be like that and, to be honest, it didn’t harm me, but rather strengthened him.” He further criticized Kouamé's tactics: “I think he took up a lot of time on many occasions, lying on the floor or stalling. And it’s not normal for the crowd to be shouting for a full minute without any play. In a match where the physical aspect matters so much, if you give a player a lot of time, he’s obviously going to take advantage of it.”
Tournament organizers have been contacted for comment.
