Amateur player received a wildcard and played professional tournament without knowing how to serve

An unusual episode is shaking women’s tennis after an amateur player was thrown into a professional tournament without appearing to have the slightest preparation for that competitive level. The protagonist of the controversy is Hajar Abdelkader, a 21-year-old Egyptian, who received a last-minute wildcard for the ITF W35K, held in Nairobi.

Without any classification in the world rankings, Abdelkader entered directly into the main table and faced the German Lorena Schaedel. The outcome was quick and enlightening: a double 6-0 defeat in just over half an hour. However, more than the result, it was the images of the meeting that caused perplexity.

During the game, major technical difficulties became evident, especially in the service, with unconventional gestures and successive errors that raised doubts about the criteria used to award the invitation. On social media, several fans and experts questioned how it was possible for a player with no relevant competitive experience to participate in a professional tournament of this level.