A bizarre incident at a professional tennis tournament in Nairobi has left the sport's authorities scrambling for answers and sparked a viral controversy. Hajar Abdelkader, a 21-year-old playing under the Egyptian flag, suffered a humiliating 6-0, 6-0 defeat in just 37 minutes, managing to win only three points in the entire match.
The Match That Shocked the Tennis World
Competing in a W35 ITF World Tennis Tour event – the sport's third tier – Abdelkader faced world number 1026 Loren Shaedel. The match was a spectacle of one-sided play. Abdelkader, dressed in leggings and a dark t-shirt rather than conventional tennis attire, struggled with the fundamentals. She landed only 8.3% of her first serves and hit a staggering 20 double faults.
At one point, her opponent had to instruct her on where to stand to serve, suggesting a profound unfamiliarity with the rules. The comprehensive nature of the loss, captured in videos that spread rapidly online, led to her being labelled one of the worst participants in the sport's recent history.
A Wildcard Shrouded in Secrecy
The central mystery revolves around how Abdelkader gained entry to the £22,000 prize money tournament. Daily Mail Sport understands she was initially refused a wildcard but received a late entry after another player withdrew. Tournament organisers Tennis Kenya stated she flew into Nairobi specifically for the event after submitting a formal request.
In an official statement, Tennis Kenya acknowledged the error, saying: "In hindsight, Tennis Kenya acknowledges that this wildcard should not have been granted. The federation has taken note of this experience and will ensure that such an extremely rare occurrence never happens again." The awkward situation was compounded by the presence of both Tennis Kenya's president and the head of Kenya's Olympic Committee in the stands during the match.
Egyptian Federation Denies All Involvement
Adding another layer to the puzzle, the Egyptian Tennis Federation (ETF) has emphatically distanced itself from the player. A spokesperson told Daily Mail Sport that the ETF "had no role whatsoever directly or indirectly" in the wildcard process. They stressed Abdelkader is not registered as one of their players and believe she is based in Kenya, not Egypt.
This directly contradicts information on Abdelkader's own ITF profile, which claims she has been playing since age 14. Tennis Kenya's assertion that she flew in for the event also appears to conflict with the Egyptian federation's position on her residency.
The incident has raised serious questions about vetting procedures for wildcards, even at lower-tier events designed to foster development. While W35 tournaments offer crucial ranking points and financial incentives for emerging players, this case highlights the potential for the system to be exploited or misunderstood, damaging the integrity of competition.
