Tennis player vanishes after lying way into pro tournament — and playing unbelievably bad match
How amateur tennis pro got into tournamentJaclyn HendricksTue, January 13, 2026 at 5:32 PM UTC·1 min read
The fallout from an Egyptian tennis player’s widely ridiculed professional debut has taken an even stranger turn.
Hajar Abdelkader, a 21-year-old who gained international attention for a confounding performance in an International Tennis Federation event in Kenya this month, has been accused of misleading organizers to secure entry into the event, a source told The Telegraph, which reported she has gone off the grid.
“She gave false information about her ranking and her stats. We can’t find her and don’t know where she’s gone to,” a source said.
Abdelkader, who was permitted to play after a Kenyan athlete pulled out at the last minute, was walloped by German opponent Lorena Schedel, 6-0, 6-0.
During the match, which lasted 37 minutes, Abdelkader tallied 20 double faults and had to be instructed by Schedel, No. 1,139 in the world, on where to serve on the baseline, per The Telegraph.
Tennis Kenya’s secretary general, Nancy Nduku, said Abdelkader “should not have been granted” access to play.
“The federation has taken note of this experience and will ensure that such an extremely rare occurrence never happens again,” Nduku stated.
An Egyptian tennis player has gone viral over a confounding performance in her debut — and is accused of misleading tournament organizers for entry. @SportakCZ/X
The Telegraph previously reported Abdelkader “repeatedly emailed officials from December 26” as she lobbied for an opportunity to participate.
That wild-card chance was granted as Abdelkader suggested “she had an appropriate level of competitive playing experience,” Tennis Kenya said, with The Telegraph reporting her ITF profile indicated she has played the sport since she was 14.
Attempts to reach Abdelkader were unsuccessful by The Telegraph.
