The organisers of a professional women's tournament which has gone viral on social media because of a wildcard player's dire performance have acknowledged she should not have been allowed to play. Egyptian Hajar Abdelkader, 21, lost 6-0 6-0 and served 20 double faults during the first-round match in Nairobi on Wednesday, with the footage leaving many viewers wondering if she had ever played tennis before. The amateur player won only three points during her 37-minute debut - two double faults by opponent Lorena Schaedel and an unforced error from the bemused German, ranked 1,026th in the world. The match was part of an International Tennis Federation (ITF) W35 tournament, hosted by Tennis Kenya, the governing body for the sport in Kenya. Tennis Kenya said it had reached out to both Abdelkader and Schaedel to offer its support given the extent and nature of coverage of this match. The organisation explained that Abdelkader had applied to enter the tournament as a wildcard and had been given a space at the last minute following the withdrawal of another player. Once the match's outcome gained attention, Tennis Kenya admitted it should not have permitted her to compete. The federation has taken note of this experience and will ensure that such an extremely rare occurrence never happens again, the organization stated. They assured their commitment to fairness, transparency, and the integrity of competition, emphasizing the continued development of tennis in Kenya and Africa. Meanwhile, the Egyptian Tennis Federation confirmed that Abdelkader has never been registered as an Egyptian player and was not entered into the tournament on Egypt's behalf. The technical director of the Egyptian Tennis Federation stated, Based on the information available to us, the player was previously residing in Kenya and participated in the ITF tournament in Nairobi through a wildcard granted by the Kenyan Tennis Federation. They also clarified they were not involved in the player's entry into the tournament in any capacity, nor did they have any records relating to her.
Wildcard Controversy: Tennis Federation Admits Mistake Over Viral Match
Wildcard Controversy: Tennis Federation Admits Mistake Over Viral Match
Tournament organizers acknowledge the inappropriate entry of wildcard player Hajar Abdelkader, whose poor performance has raised questions about her participation in a professional tennis match.
The International Tennis Federation and Tennis Kenya have admitted a mistake in allowing wildcard entrant Hajar Abdelkader to compete in a recent professional women’s tournament. Abdelkader, 21, suffered an overwhelming defeat, losing her first-round match 6-0, 6-0, and drawing criticism on social media for her performance. Organizers noted that she should not have been allowed to play after receiving the spot last-minute due to another player's withdrawal. The Egyptian Tennis Federation clarified that Abdelkader is not registered with them and participated through the Kenyan Tennis Federation.
