Tennis-Kenya tennis body admit mistake in granting wildcard to viral ‘worst-ever’ debutant
Competing under the Egyptian flag, Hajar Abdelkader lost 6-0 6-0 in 37 minutes to German Lorena Schaedel, world number 1,026, in the International Tennis Federation (ITF) W35 tournament held on Wednesday, gaining only three points and making 20 double faults.
The 21-year-old amateur appeared unfamiliar with how to play the sport, landing less than one of the top 10 serves and needing his opponent to guide him to the right side of the court as clips went viral, with some calling it his “worst ever” professional debut.
Tennis Kenya, the host of the event, said Abdelkader was given a wild card at the last minute after another player withdrew shortly before the tournament in a bid to maintain a full and balanced draw. They said the decision was made based on information provided by the player.
“In retrospect, this wild card should not have been awarded,” Tennis Kenya said in a statement on Thursday. “The Federation has taken this experience into account and will ensure that such a rare event never happens again.”
The Egyptian Tennis Federation distanced itself from the debacle, telling the Daily Mail and the BBC that Abdelkader was not registered with the organization and played no role in its nomination or participation.
They added that they did not have further information about his tennis background, although he stated in his ITF profile that he had been playing the sport since the age of 14. Tennis Kenya said they had contacted both players involved to offer support following the lopsided scope and nature of the match, which is part of the entry level of professional tennis where events still award prize money and ranking points.
