French Open organizers on Friday said a “significant sanction” will be imposed on Adolfo Daniel Vallejo after the player said his second-round match should not have been umpired by a woman.

The sanction will be a fine, with the amount not announced.

Buoyed by the home crowd, French teenage prodigy Moise Kouame staved off a late rally to record a 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 2-6, 7-6 (8) victory over Vallejo on Thursday. Vallejo led 5-2 in the deciding set before the 17-year-old Kouame battled back to end the match in just less than five hours.

Vallejo, a 22-year-old from Paraguay, took issue with the time Kouame was allowed to take between points and argued that umpire Ana Carvalho did not control the crowd, which loudly cheered for the teen.

“This sort of match needs to be umpired by a man. It’s very difficult for a woman to do it,” Vallejo told Clay magazine. “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.”

The French Tennis Federation and Roland Garros organizers deemed Vallejo’s comments as “unacceptable.”

“The competence of an umpire is not determined by their gender, but by their professionalism and ability to officiate at the highest level,” the organizers said. “The outcome of a sporting event, whether positive or negative, can never justify or excuse such remarks. The tournament organizers will impose a significant sanction on Adolfo Vallejo in the form of a fine.

“The Roland-Garros tournament strongly condemns all sexist remarks, regardless of who makes them, and offers its support to the match umpire and, more broadly, to all the tournament’s umpiring officials.”

Vallejo, who is ranked 71st in the world, posted in Spanish on X that his words had been misconstrued.

“I never spoke about women in general, I spoke about the referee specifically, who didn’t handle the crowd at any point during the match,” Vallejo wrote. “That said, I also didn’t say that I lost because of her. I congratulated the opponent and it’s normal for the crowd to cheer for the home player.”

–Field Level Media

With Cristiano Ronaldo set to be 45 years old when Portugal hosts the 2030 World Cup alongside Spain and Morocco, one might think it’s unlikely that he’ll be on the squad for what would be his seventh World Cup.

But don’t tell that to Portugal’s manager Roberto Martinez.

“No one should doubt that (he could play in 2030),” Martinez said Thursday in an appearance on Cadena Ser radio. “He’s earned it.”

Ronaldo, who debuted for Portugal at 18 in August of 2003, is comfortably the country’s leader in all-time appearances (226, 80 more than Joao Moutinho) and goals (143, 96 more than Pauleta).

He led Portugal to the 2016 European Championship and to a fourth-place finish at the 2006 World Cup, the country’s best finish at a World Cup since a third-place showing in 1966.

A penalty-kick goal against Ghana at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar made him the first player to score at five different World Cups.

Ronaldo and Argentina’s Lionel Messi are set to simultaneously become the first players in history to appear in six World Cups at this summer’s event.

“I have worked with many players that have won a Champions League or a Ballon d’Or, and the next day they lose their appetite. What we have with Ronaldo is an example of a different mentality,” Martinez said.

“I believe that having that goal is what allows for longevity. Of course, there is a genetic aspect, the work he puts in – he uses everything that can help his body – and his mentality.”

Portugal, in Group K for the first-ever 48-team World Cup, opens play June 17 against the Democratic Republic of Congo in Houston.

–Field Level Media

With tensions between the union that represents 2,000-plus workers at SoFi Stadium and the stadium operators at their boiling point, Unite Here Local 11 has halted negotiations and authorized a strike vote, The Athletic reported Friday.

The vote is set to take place at the end of next week — just one week before the stadium in Inglewood, Calif., is scheduled to host the opening game of the 2026 World Cup in the United States. That game features the Americans against Paraguay on June 12.

The union represents workers in concession services, including the people who both prepare and serve the stadium’s food and beverages.

In all, eight World Cup matches are scheduled for SoFi Stadium, the home of both the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers of the NFL. The venue also is slated to host key events during the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

The labor agreement between stadium operator Legends Global and United Here Local 11 has expired, and bargaining sessions have failed.

Kurt Petersen, the co-president of the union, told The Athletic that his group ended negotiations on Tuesday.

“We felt the company (Legends) were not taking the concerns and demands seriously enough,” Petersen said. “At midday (Tuesday), the workers told the company that we intend to proceed with a strike vote. The vote is scheduled for next week over two days on Thursday and Friday.”

In a statement to The Athletic, a Legends Global representative said about the potential strike vote: “Legends Global has enjoyed a strong relationship with Unite Here Local 11 for more than a decade and remains committed to reaching a fair agreement through good faith negotiations. We look forward to delivering an outstanding hospitality experience for fans at the FIFA World Cup matches at SoFi Stadium.”

The World Cup organizing committee in Los Angeles declined to comment on what impact a strike could have on the scheduled SoFi matches.

The union has made demands that include, according to The Athletic:

–A guarantee that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents will not be allowed on venue grounds during the World Cup, saying their presence could jeopardize employee safety. Government officials have said ICE agents would be on hand with security and not immigation enforcement their primary duty.

–Restricted use of subcontractors.

–No use of automation or artificial intelligence that could cause the loss of union jobs.

–Release of information to the union that would detail things such as work hours or the distribution of tips and service charges.

“Our members are clear,” Petersen told The Athletic. “They are angry about this. We recognize the World Cup is an extraordinary event but the lack of transparency and movement is raising concerns and this could impact the 2,000 food service workers at the stadium.

“If we were to strike, then FIFA has a significant problem because other workers may not be accredited, which is a whole process for them requiring background checks a while in advance and would not be straightforward to rush through.”

–Field Level Media