Tennis Kenya admits controversial Hajar Abdelkader wildcard was a mistake

“At the time, Ms Abdelkader was the only other player who had requested a wildcard”, the federation added, which was therefore granted to her based on the “information provided” by the player “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,” the statement added.

What’s going on⁉️

Viral videos of Egyptian tennis player Hajar Abdelkader playing in the 1st rd of a W35 main draw have been circulating 👀

Abdelkader lost 0-6, 0-6 w/ 20 double faults & 3 points won (2 off of the opponent’s double faults) in 37 min! pic.twitter.com/ci8AWKCdGL

— UTR Sports (@UTR_Sports_) January 7, 2026

When contacted by AFP, the ITF said the decision to grant invitations for the Nairobi tournament was the responsibility of Tennis Kenya.

In a statement published on Facebook, the Egyptian Tennis Federation also denied having played any role in awarding the wildcard to Abdelkader.

“She is not registered with the Egyptian Tennis Federation and is not listed on any of our official player rosters,” it said in a statement.

According to the player’s profile on the ITF website, the Egyptian played the first professional match of her career in Nairobi.

Tennis Kenya said it was mindful of the impact the media coverage and social media comments might have on both the players involved in the match.

“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,” Tennis Kenya said in a statement.

“Both organisations have reached out to the two players to offer support.”

– Agence France-Presse