'Worst professional tennis player in history' sparks speculations of buying entry to tournament

By Vy Anh January 9, 2026 | 04:12 pm PT

A screenshot of Hajar Abdelkader in action at the W35 Nairobi match against Lorena Schaedel on Jan. 7, 2026.

Egyptian player Hajar Abdelkader shocked spectators at the W35 Nairobi with a performance so bad that it has sparked speculation of her buying a wildcard entry to the tournament.

Abdelkader, 21, entered the tournament after a local player withdrew due to injury. Despite her registration profile claiming she had been training since age 14, she appeared in a newbie outfit with leggings, a t-shirt and sunglasses, losing 0-6, 0-6 to Lorena Schaedel in just 37 minutes.

Her statistics were unprecedented for a professional player, including 20 double faults, a first-serve rate of only 8%, a second-serve rate of 9% and at times she was hesitant in choosing a serving position. Throughout the match, Abdelkader scored just three points, all resulting from her opponent's unforced errors.

Following Abdelkader's performance, Daily Mail labeled her potentially the "worst professional tennis player in history."

The performance was so shocking it has raised serious questions about how Abdelkader obtained a wildcard for a US$30,000 ITF World Tennis Tour event, which features seven players in the world’s top 500.

The appearance of a player that lacked basic experience like Abdelkader has led many to suspect that the organizers sold wildcard entries, which is strictly prohibited under the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) rules.

According to the Tennis Anti-Corruption Programme, no organization or player is permitted to directly or indirectly offer or receive money for wildcards.

These spots are typically reserved for promising regional talent who missed direct entry into the main draw. In this case, the Kenya Tennis Federation held the right to award the wildcard. The tournament’s CEO has yet to issue a statement about the incident.

The ITF World Tennis Tour is the lowest-level professional tournament, behind the WTA, ATP and Challengers Tour. Nevertheless, ITF events are often chosen by top players to improve their rankings after a long absence. The first-round losers at W35 events receive about $300 in prize money.