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French Open Fines Vallejo €65,000 Over Sexist Umpire Remarks

The tournament says the penalty enforces Grand Slam conduct rules and defends the authority of match officials.

Overview

  • Roland Garros announced the €65,000 fine on Monday, June 1, 2026, saying it represents roughly half of Vallejo’s second‑round prize money.
  • The sanction follows Vallejo’s post‑match comments to Clay magazine after a nearly five‑hour, five‑set loss to 17‑year‑old Moise Kouame in which he said the match “needs to be umpired by a man.”
  • Tournament director Amélie Mauresmo and the French Tennis Federation called the remarks unacceptable and stressed that umpire competence is judged by professionalism, not gender.
  • Vallejo issued a brief public apology saying he was heated after the match, while members of the tennis community including former players publicly condemned his comments.
  • Organisers applied Grand Slam rules on unsportsmanlike conduct that bar public statements harmful to a tournament or its officials, and the fine is being cited as one of the larger penalties handed down at a major, signalling tougher enforcement of conduct standards.