Wildcard Holder Hajar Abdelkader Breaks the Internet With the Worst Performance in History

Hajar Abdelkader served 20 double faults in her horror show.

Wildcard Holder Hajar Abdelkader Breaks the Internet With the Worst Performance in History

Hajar Abdelkader broke the internet (via Tennis Updates)

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Fans recognize that familiar frustration from video games like Top Spin or Mario Tennis, where picking an unfamiliar character without practice leads to quick embarrassment. That approach, however, does not translate to real tennis, a lesson Hajar Abdelkader learned the hard way after receiving a wildcard into the ITF W35 Nairobi tournament.

The tennis community is reeling after a match at the ITF W35 Nairobi tournament went viral for the worst possible reasons. Wildcard entrant Hajar Abdelkader delivered a performance so erratic that it has left social media users and tournament officials questioning what they witnessed.

The match between Abdelkader and her opponent, Germany’s Lorena Schaedel, lasted just over half an hour. In professional tennis, that’s usually the length of a single competitive set. In this case, it was the entire match.

Unranked Egyptian player Hajar Abdelkader did not just lose; she suffered a crushing defeat that broke records for its one-sidedness. She won zero games in a 6-0, 6-0 double bagel against her opponent, managing just three points across the entire match

The breakdown gets even more striking. Of those three points Abdelkader managed, two came from double faults by her opponent Schaedel, and the third was an unforced error. Technically, Abdelkader did not hit a single winner during the entire match.

The mystery of the wildcard ft. Hajar Abdelkader

That is where the story turns from viral curiosity to legitimate questions about eligibility. Abdelkader entered via wildcard, a slot typically awarded to promising locals, rising prospects, or players working back from injury, not someone whose performance suggested minimal competitive preparation.

Hajar Abdelkader
Hajar Abdelkader (via Unsplash)

Online speculation quickly followed. Was this a case of purchased entry, an administrative oversight, or something more deliberate? Randy Walker, a tournament director for Vero Beach Futures, voiced strong criticism online, labeling it “straight up disrespect to the integrity of the sport.”

It’s genuinely confusing. The ITF (International Tennis Federation) World Tennis Tour is a professional pathway for aspiring tennis players. There is prize money on the line—$30,000 in this case. When a player essentially acts as a bye week for their opponent, it disrupts the competitive balance.

Lorena Schaedel deserves a medal for patience. Imagine standing there, ready to play a professional sport, and realizing that the win is around the corner without any effort. Schaedel had a 92.6% first-serve percentage, probably because she wasn’t under any pressure whatsoever. She could have played this match with a frying pan and still won 6-0, 6-0.

People are calling for the ITIA (International Tennis Integrity Agency) to investigate the matter. It’s rare for a performance to be so bad that it triggers an integrity probe. Whether Abdelkader was a delusional amateur with deep pockets or the victim of a terrible misunderstanding, she has cemented her legacy. She might not have a world ranking, but she has a viral moment that tennis Twitter will never forget. And honestly, winning three points without hitting a single winner is a statistical achievement in itself.

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