Overview
- Wildcard entrant Hajar Abdelkader lost 0-6, 0-6 to Germany’s Lorena Schädel in Nairobi, with the match lasting 37 minutes.
- Abdelkader committed 20 double faults and won only three points, as shown in widely shared videos from the W35 ITF event.
- Tennis Kenya said the wildcard should not have been issued, noting Abdelkader claimed sufficient competitive experience and pledging to prevent a repeat.
- Egypt’s technical director Dia Nabil Loutfy told the BBC that Abdelkader was not registered as an Egyptian player and that the federation played no role in her nomination or approval.
- The wildcard was first offered to another player who withdrew, and officials said Abdelkader was the only remaining applicant at the time, with local reports noting she earned $297 in prize money.