"女Referees shouldn't be women; men should do it!" Shockwaves of 'sexism' after French Open exit → Facing fine

*This content was translated by AI.

At the ongoing 2026 French Open (Roland Garros), a historic sexist remark has erupted, shaking the global tennis world and sparking intense controversy. The main figure is 22-year-old Paraguay's Daniel Valerio (world ranking 71st).

On the 28th (Korean time), Valerio lost to France's 17-year-old prodigy Moise Kuamé (world ranking 318th) in the men's singles second round at the Suzanne Lenglen Court in Paris, France, after a grueling 4 hours and 56 minutes. The final set score was 2-3 (3-6, 5-7, 6-3, 6-2, 6-7<8-10>).

The problem arose after the match ended. Valerio directed extreme sexist remarks at Ana Carvalho, a Brazilian-born "veteran female referee" who served as the chief umpire that day, claiming she failed to control the home crowd's one-sided cheering and the opposing player's time-wasting tactics.

According to reports by The Guardian and The Daily Mail on the 30th, after the match, Valerio stated in an interview, "Matches like this should be refereed by men. It is too difficult for a woman to manage." He added, "Men should be the chief umpires. Because the crowds are so intense, it requires immense strength to stand up to them." He openly directed his frustration over the defeat at Carvalho.

Valerio argued that the referee failed to properly stop Kuamé, the opposing player, who intentionally delayed the 25th-second serve limit by lying on the ground or dragging out the time during the match. It appeared he expressed dissatisfaction that his opponent gained rest time due to the referee's operational incompetence in a physically exhausting match.

Once Valerio's remarks were made public, the tennis world was turned upside down. This is because the target of the sexist remarks, referee Ana Carvalho, is one of the veteran referees in the global tennis community.

As the controversy spread, the French Tennis Federation (FFT), which organizes the tournament, immediately issued an official statement, warning of severe sanctions against Valerio. The federation stated, "A referee's qualification is determined not by gender, but by professionalism and the ability to manage matches at the highest level." It added, "Regardless of the match result, such remarks can never be justified or tolerated." It further announced, "The Roland Garros organizers strongly condemn all sexist language and will impose a massive fine."

According to tournament rules, players who engage in unsportsmanlike conduct can be fined up to $100,000 (approximately 150 million won). The nearly five-hour battle, which could have been remembered as a classic match, has instead led to global condemnation and the worst controversy of a multi-million won fine for the defeated Valerio due to his outdated "sexist remarks."

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*This content was translated by AI.