Adolfo Daniel Vallejo has sparked controversy at the French Open by claiming that his second-round match should not have been officiated by a woman, arguing that Brazilian chair umpire Ana Carvalho was unable to keep the home crowd in check.
Match Drama and Controversy
Vallejo faced French teenager Moïse Kouamé on Thursday in what became one of the tournament's most gripping encounters. Kouamé, aged 17, was vigorously supported by compatriots on Court Suzanne Lenglen, ultimately prevailing 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 2-6, 7-6 (8) after an epic four hours and 56 minutes.
The Paraguayan was dissatisfied with the time Kouamé was permitted between points and contended that Carvalho, an experienced official, lacked the strength to manage the partisan crowd effectively.
Vallejo's Statement
Speaking to Clay magazine, Vallejo 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."
Players are allowed 25 seconds between points, with a visible shot clock, but umpires have discretion to start the countdown later amid significant crowd noise.
Vallejo added: "The crowd was very out of line, but I understand they are supporting their compatriot. 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 continued: "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 organisers have been contacted for comment.
