ITF to review wildcard process after tennis player’s viral performance

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has confirmed that it will review its procedures for awarding wildcard after a women’s player went viral for her “unacceptable” performance at a professional tournament with a £22,000 prize.

The comments followed a first-round match at an ITF W35 event in Kenya which saw wildcard Hajar Abdelkader, 21, lose 6-0 6-0 in 37 minutes.

She committed 20 double faults and appeared unfamiliar with basic elements of the game, prompting organisers to say the wildcard should not have been granted.

"As the Tournament Operator and National Association, Tennis Kenya had understood that Ms Abdelkader was of an appropriate standard to compete,” an ITF spokesperson said.

“The outcome showed this was clearly not the case and was unacceptable for a World Tennis Tour event, along with being unfortunate for the player.

"We acknowledge proportionate measures must be taken to prevent this happening again. We are exploring ways to ensure that, by assessing the process of awarding wildcards with consideration to a minimum playing standards requirement to compete at a WTT event."

This comes after Tennis Kenya said Egyptian player Abdelkader was granted a wildcard after submitting a “formal request" after another player withdrew.

“At the time, Ms Abdelkader was the only other player who had requested a wildcard,” the organisers said, adding that it was granted "in the interest of maintaining a full and balanced draw while supporting the development of tennis in Africa”.

“In hindsight, Tennis Kenya acknowledges that this wildcard should not have been granted. The federation has taken note of this experience and will ensure that such an extremely rare occurrence never happens again," it added.

The WTT provides competitive opportunities for nearly 11,000 players each year across more than 1,250 events in more than 75 countries, serving as the main pathway to the top levels of the sport, with entry-level tournaments still offering prize money and ranking points.

Reuters