Paraguayan tennis player Adolfo Daniel Vallejo has been fined €65,000 (£56,000) by French Open organisers following comments he made after his second-round defeat.

Vallejo was sanctioned after suggesting that his match should not have been officiated by a woman, arguing that the level of crowd management required in such a long and intense contest would be better handled by a male umpire.The remarks were made in the aftermath of his five-set loss to French teenager Moise Kouame, a match that reportedly lasted close to five hours.

Tournament officials at Roland Garros, including director Amélie Mauresmo, confirmed the disciplinary action and strongly condemned Vallejo’s comments as unacceptable and sexist.

They emphasised that officiating standards are based solely on professionalism and competence, not gender, and reiterated their support for the umpire involved, Ana Carvalho.

The fine represents approximately half of Vallejo’s prize money earnings of €130,000 for reaching the second round of the tournament, underlining the severity of the sanction.Following the backlash, Vallejo later claimed on social media platform X that his remarks had been taken out of context.

He stated that he was specifically referring to the handling of the crowd during the match rather than making a general statement about women in officiating roles.Despite this clarification, the governing body maintained its position and proceeded with the penalty.

The case has drawn attention within the tennis world, highlighting ongoing sensitivities around gender equality in sports officiating and the consequences players may face for public comments deemed discriminatory.