Kenya’s tennis governing body has admitted to an error of judgment after a wildcard entry at the ITF W35 Nairobi tournament triggered widespread controversy within the global tennis community.
In an official statement issued on Thursday, Tennis Kenya acknowledged that granting a wildcard to Egyptian player Hajar Abdelkader was a mistake, following the circulation of a viral video that raised serious concerns about her readiness to compete at professional level.
“Tennis Kenya is aware of concerns regarding the participation of Egyptian player Hajar Abdelkader in the ITF W35 Nairobi tournament,” the federation said. “In hindsight, Tennis Kenya acknowledges that this wildcard should not have been granted.”
Viral match sparks global debate
The controversy stems from Abdelkader’s first-round match against Germany’s Lorena Schaedel, which ended in a one-sided 6-0, 6-0 defeat in just 37 minutes at Nairobi’s Parklands Sports Club.
Match statistics highlighted the scale of the mismatch. Abdelkader won only three points in the entire match, committed 20 double faults and landed just 8.3 per cent of her first serves. At one stage, footage showed the chair umpire guiding her on where to stand to begin a point — an unusual scene at a professional ITF event.
The video quickly spread online, prompting criticism from fans, players and officials who questioned the integrity of the wildcard system.
How the wildcard was granted
Explaining the decision, Tennis Kenya said Abdelkader had submitted a formal request for a wildcard and travelled to Nairobi after the original wildcard recipient withdrew at short notice and opted to play in the qualifying draw.
“At the time, Ms Abdelkader was the only other player who had requested a wildcard,” the federation said, adding that the decision was taken based on the information she provided and in the interest of maintaining a full draw while supporting African tennis development.
Abdelkader had indicated that she possessed an appropriate level of competitive experience, based on which the wildcard was issued.
Focus on player welfare
Both International Tennis Federation and Tennis Kenya stressed the importance of player welfare amid intense online scrutiny. The federation said both players had been contacted and offered support, noting that Abdelkader is a young athlete.
However, Tennis Kenya conceded that the decision had backfired and pledged corrective steps. “This extremely rare occurrence will not happen again,” it said, reaffirming its commitment to fairness, transparency and competitive integrity.
The episode has reignited debate around the wildcard system in professional tennis, with critics arguing that the Nairobi mismatch risked undermining the credibility of ITF tournaments.