The world of tennis was shaken after the viralization of the professional debut of Hajar Abdelkadera 21-year-old Egyptian tennis player, who suffered a defeat considered the worst in the history of the sport, losing 6-0 and 6-0 against the German Lorena Schaedel during a tournament of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) in Nairobion January 6.
Far from being diluted, the scandal added an explosive new chapter in the last hours. As detailed by the The Telegraph, The organizers of the event stated that Abdelkader had sent multiple emails requesting to participate since December 26but their requests were rejected until the last-minute vacancy arose. The organization’s source added a detail as key as it is controversial: “He gave false information about his ranking and statistics. We can’t find her and we don’t know where she is”.
Records on the website of the ITF indicated that the Egyptian player, right-handed, He had been competing since he was 14 years old. However, images of the match showed technical limitations which surprised both spectators and experts, since Abdelkader did not seem to master the fundamentals of recreational tennis.
The tournament in question, part of the ITF World Tennis Tourcorresponds to the lowest level within the professional circuits, although It usually attracts high-ranking athletes looking for points and financial prizes. Seven players ranked among the top 500 in the world participated in Nairobi with a prize of $30,000.
In a statement, Tennis Kenya He explained that the invitation to Abdelkader was granted because “indicated that he had an appropriate level of competitive gaming experience“In response to the questions, the Egyptian Tennis Federation confirmed that Abdelkader is an Egyptian citizen, resides in Kenya and has not competed in her home country.
The organizers assured that They will review their protocols to avoid similar incidents. Meanwhile, the location of Hajar Abdelkader and the details of his sporting career remain unclear, according to sources consulted by The Telegraph. “One of the organizers of the event stated that Ms. Abdelkader she was suspected of lying about her experience. “The authorities are trying to find out how he knew what information to provide to secure his place in the tournament,” the outlet detailed.
Meanwhile, an account of Instagram who claimed to belong to the player published: “I am happy to announce that I will be playing another ITF this month.” When consulted by the British media, the owner of the account stated that he had found a coach and a manager, although did not validate the identity of the athlete.
This whole situation led to an internal investigation to determine how Abdelkader gained access to the tournament and What mechanisms failed in the admission process. The case put background checks and experience checks in professional competitions at the center of the debate, as well as the procedure for granting invitations on the international tennis circuit.
The match, which lasted 37 minutes, showed Abdelkader committing 20 double faults and managing to connect only 8% of its services. Her opponent, Lorena Schaedel, ranked 1139th in the world ranking, only gave up three points: two due to double faults and one due to an unforced error. During the development of the match, Abdelkader threw the ball back during a serve and required instructions from his opponent to position yourself correctly on the court.
The controversy escalated when Tennis Kenyathe governing body of tennis in the African country, recognized that Abdelkader should never have been admitted to the tournament. The Egyptian received an invitation after the last-minute withdrawal of a local professional, a fact that opened the door to suspicions.
Tennis Kenya General Secretary Nancy Nduku stated: “Tennis Kenya recognizes that this invitation should not have been granted. The Federation has taken note of this experience and will ensure that such an exceptional event does not occur again.”.
