Overview
- Tennis Kenya says Hajar Abdelkader received a last‑minute main‑draw wildcard after a withdrawal and was the only player who had requested one.
- The federation concedes the wildcard should not have been granted, has contacted both players, and pledges procedural changes to prevent a repeat.
- Egypt’s tennis federation states Abdelkader is not registered with them and had no role in her entry, underscoring confusion over her background.
- Abdelkader lost 6-0, 6-0 to Germany’s Lorena Schaedel in 37 minutes, winning three points and serving 20 double faults, with full match footage available on the ITF site and widely shared online.
- The incident has intensified scrutiny of wildcard oversight at lower‑tier events where W35 main‑draw spots carry prize money and ranking points, with no public indication of ITF or ITIA enforcement action in the coverage.