A tennis federation has been forced to apologise after a player's disastrous professional debut, granted via a wildcard, sparked global controversy and raised serious questions about the selection process.
The Viral Defeat That Sparked Outrage
Tennis Kenya has publicly stated that a wildcard offered to Egyptian player Hajar Abdelkader "should not have been granted". This admission comes after footage of the 21-year-old's match at an ITF professional tournament in Nairobi spread rapidly across social media. Abdelkader, playing the first professional match of her career, won only three points and served a staggering 20 double faults during a 6-0, 6-0 defeat to Germany's Lorena Schaedel, who is ranked 1,026 in the world.
Videos from the match showed Abdelkader visibly struggling with basic elements of the game, including her serve and court positioning. The stark mismatch in skill level led to widespread criticism online, with many questioning how she was awarded a place in the tournament ahead of more qualified players.
How Was the Wildcard Awarded?
In a statement released on Thursday, Tennis Kenya explained the chain of events that led to Abdelkader's participation. The federation confirmed she was granted the wildcard for the second week of the event after submitting a formal request. This followed a "short-notice withdrawal by the originally intended recipient".
"At the time, Ms Abdelkader was the only other player who had requested a wildcard," the federation stated. The invitation was therefore approved based on the information she provided and with the aim of "maintaining a full and balanced draw while supporting the development of tennis in Africa".
However, Tennis Kenya has now conceded this was an error in judgement. "In hindsight, Tennis Kenya acknowledges that this wildcard should not have been granted," the statement read. "The federation has taken note of this experience and will ensure that such an extremely rare occurrence never happens again."
Fallout and Federations Distance Themselves
The International Tennis Federation (ITF) clarified that the decision to grant wildcards for the Nairobi tournament was solely the responsibility of the local organising body, Tennis Kenya. Meanwhile, the Egyptian Tennis Federation has also distanced itself from the incident.
In a Facebook post, the Egyptian federation denied any involvement, stating: "She is not registered with the Egyptian Tennis Federation and is not listed on any of our official player rosters."
The practice of awarding wildcards to local or developing players is common in tennis, even at Grand Slam and WTA levels, to help foster growth. However, this incident highlights the potential pitfalls when the process lacks rigorous vetting.
Tennis Kenya expressed concern for the wellbeing of both players involved, given the intense media scrutiny. "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 federation said, confirming that both organisations have reached out to offer support.
