The governing body for tennis in Kenya has publicly admitted a significant error in judgement after granting a wildcard entry to a player whose performance in a professional tournament sparked global controversy and went viral on social media.
A Match That Captured Global Attention
Hajar Abdelkader, a 21-year-old Egyptian player, suffered a crushing 6-0, 6-0 defeat in the second week of an ITF-sanctioned tournament in Nairobi. Her opponent was Germany's Lorena Schaedel, who is ranked world No. 1,026. During the match, Abdelkader managed to win just three points and served a staggering 20 double faults.
Videos from the court, widely shared online, showed the player struggling profoundly with basic elements of the game, including her serve and court positioning. The stark disparity in skill level raised immediate and serious questions about the process that led to her participation in a professional event.
Tennis Kenya's Explanation and Reversal
In a statement released on Thursday, Tennis Kenya outlined the sequence of events that led to Abdelkader's inclusion. The federation explained that the wildcard was granted after a "short-notice withdrawal by the originally intended recipient." At that point, Abdelkader was reportedly the only other player to have submitted a formal request.
The decision was made based on the information she provided and with the stated aim of "maintaining a full and balanced draw while supporting the development of tennis in Africa." However, the organisation has now performed a complete U-turn.
"In hindsight, Tennis Kenya acknowledges that this wildcard should not have been granted," the statement read. It added that the federation had "taken note of this experience and will ensure that such an extremely rare occurrence never happen again."
Federations Distance Themselves from the Decision
The International Tennis Federation (ITF) clarified that the responsibility for awarding wildcards for the Nairobi tournament lay solely with the national federation, Tennis Kenya. Meanwhile, the Egyptian Tennis Federation also moved to distance itself from the incident.
In a Facebook post, the Egyptian body stated that Abdelkader "is not registered with the Egyptian Tennis Federation and is not listed on any of our official player rosters." According to her ITF profile, the match in Nairobi marked the very first professional contest of her career.
Wellbeing of Players Takes Centre Stage
In the wake of the intense media scrutiny and often harsh social media commentary, Tennis Kenya expressed concern for the individuals involved. Recognising the potential impact on two young athletes, the federation and the ITF have made player welfare a priority.
"This is a young person and given the extent and nature of coverage of this match, Tennis Kenya and the ITF recognise the need to keep the wellbeing of both players as a primary consideration," the Kenyan statement confirmed. "Both organisations have reached out to the two players to offer support."
The incident has ignited a broader debate about the transparency and criteria used for awarding wildcards, a common practice intended to support local talent or promote the sport in developing regions, but one now under renewed scrutiny.
