The Egyptian Tennis Federation (ETF) has distanced itself from a player who recently sparked controversy at a W35 tournament in Nairobi. Hajar Abdelkader, who participated under a wildcard entry, has been making headlines for being considered one of the most inexperienced competitors in tennis, yet the details surrounding her entry remain unclear.
The 21-year-old Abdelkader became an internet sensation after suffering a swift 6-0, 6-0 defeat to world No. 1026 Loren Shaedel, in a match that lasted just 37 minutes. During the game, she managed to secure only three points and at times appeared unfamiliar with tennis basics.
Reports suggest Abdelkader was initially denied a wildcard but was later granted one at the last minute due to another player’s withdrawal. However, despite competing under Egypt’s banner, the federation announced on Thursday that they are not affiliated with her and she is not registered with them.
An ETF spokesperson told Daily Mail Sport that the federation “had no role whatsoever directly or indirectly in the nomination, approval, or issuance of this wildcard.” They emphasized that they were in no way involved in her participation, noting that they believe Abdelkader resides in Kenya.
Furthermore, the ETF stated that they lack additional information about Abdelkader’s tennis background, although her ITF player profile suggests she has been playing since she was 14 years old.
Hajar Abdelkader shot to infamy on Wednesday for her participation at a W35 event in Nairobi
The ETF also confirmed that they had no further information to share on the player’s background, despite Abdelkader’s ITF player profile claiming that she has been playing since the age of 14.
Adding to the mystery of Abdelkader’s background, Tennis Kenya when contacted for comment claimed that she had flown into Nairobi to compete in the tournament, appearing to contradict the Egyptian statement.
Tennis Kenya downplayed the circumstances surrounding Abdelkader’s entry, sharing in a statement that, despite being given information they believed formed an argument for her involvement, the wildcard ‘should not have been granted’.
‘Ms Abdelkader was granted a wildcard for Week Two of the event after submitting a formal request and she flew in on Tuesday morning,’ the statement began. ‘The slot became available following a short notice withdrawal by the originally awarded Main Draw wildcard recipient, who opted into the Qualifying draw.
‘At the time, Ms Abdelkader was the only other player who had requested a wildcard, and the decision was taken on the information provided and in the interest of maintaining a full and balanced draw while supporting the development of tennis in Africa.
‘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 happen again.
‘Tennis Kenya remains committed to fairness, transparency and the integrity of competition, as well as to the continued development of tennis in Kenya, East Africa, and across Africa.’
In what may have been a source of embarrassment and confusion for the organisers, Tennis Kenya president Wanjiru Mbugua-Karani and Kenya’s Olympic Committee (NOCK) president Shadrack Maluki were both in the stands at the tournament on Wednesday.
Abdelkader was described by the Secretary General of Arab and Egyptian Tennis Federations Walid Sami as ‘clearly’ having never played before.
‘She has never played tennis before, and this is clear from the level she showed,’ he told Batolat. ‘We have no connection whatsoever with the player, neither personally or professionally, and we do not know her at all.’
Dressed in unorthodox kit of leggings and a dark t-shirt, Abdelkader managed to execute only 8.3 per cent of her first serves, and hit 20 double faults on route to defeat.
In one instance on serve, Abdelkader was even told where to stand by her opponent after appearing not to know the appropriate side of the court.
The ITF World Tennis Tour is the lowest of the three tiers of competitive tours for professional players, behind the WTA and ATP tours at the top of the table, and the Challengers Tours.
But a number of WTA players will continue to compete in ITF events should they be returning from injury, keen to bolster their ranking, or interested in a shot at the top prize, with seven players inside the top 500 in the world standings competing in Nairobi.
W35 events – who offer the second-lowest amount of prize money – still come with sizeable financial reward, with £22,000 ($25,000) available to the tournament winner as well as ranking points.
