It could easily have been a tennis match that nobody really noticed. Instead, it became instantly viral online.
The first round of the International Tennis Federation’s W35 tournament, played on a clay court in Nairobi, Kenya, wouldn’t normally make much of a splash in the tennis world, but millions of people have now seen what transpired over 37 excruciating minutes in the capital.
The score of the match wasn’t unusual, a 6-0, 6-0 win for Germany’s Lorena Schaedel; what was conspicuous was the performance of her opponent, 21-year-old Egyptian Hajar Abdelkader, on what seems to have been her professional debut. But as some observers on social media have pointed out, it looked like it may have been the first time she had ever stood on a tennis court.
New details are now emerging about how Abdelkader found herself to be hopelessly out of her depth in a professional tournament and at the mercy of tennis commentators everywhere. In a statement to CNN Sports, Tennis Kenya said that Abdelkader had been admitted to the tournament as a wild card – essentially a tournament invitation that bypasses the need to qualify for the main draw of a tournament or earn a place through the rankings system.
The organization said she submitted a formal request for the wild card and had flown into Nairobi on Tuesday morning. A tournament slot became available when another player withdrew on short notice and opted into the qualifying draw.
“At the time, Ms. Abdelkader was the only other player who had requested a wild card,” the statement explained.
According to the limited details on her ITF player profile, Abdelkader has been playing tennis for seven years, since she was 14, but many found that hard to believe as she resembled a fish out of water on the court. In a highly technical game, you stand out if you barely know how to hold a racket and Abdelkader often struggled to get the ball over the net.
She made 20 double faults, and she only won three points – all of which were gifted errors from her opponent. At times, it seemed as though Abdelkader didn’t even know where to stand for her serve.
The Egyptian Tennis Federation told CNN Sports that Abdelkader isn’t registered with them, nor is she part of their official player lists.
“Based on the information available to us, the player is currently residing in Kenya,” read their statement. “The Egyptian Tennis Federation had no role whatsoever directly or indirectly in the nomination, approval, or issuance of this wildcard, and we were not involved in the player’s entry into the tournament in any capacity.”
The reaction to her performance from online commentators ranged from bemusement to ridicule, with some observers stating that her opportunity would have come at the expense of a genuinely professional player. ITF tournaments are the lowest tier of the professional game – the victorious Schaedel is ranked No. 1,026 in the world – but they are very much professional events, with important ranking points on the line and the tournament champion in Nairobi will bank $25,000.
Tennis Kenya said that the decision to usher Abdelkader into the main draw 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.”
However, they admit that such a farcical match is something they’d prefer to avoid in the future.
“In hindsight,” they said, “Tennis Kenya acknowledges that this wild card should not have been granted given the level. 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 the competition, as well as to the continued development of tennis in Kenya, East Africa and across Africa.”
The match was available to view in full on the ITF website, but it has since been taken offline, without explanation. Tennis Kenya also acknowledged the personal toll that subsequent exposure might have on a young woman, noting that it and the ITF had reached out to Abdelkader and Schaedel to offer support.
