Bill Ackman’s foray into professional tennis was met with widespread ridicule from legends Andy Roddick and Martina Navratilova after the billionaire finagled his way into a doubles match at the hallowed grounds of the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
The 59-year-old hedge fund titan — a skilled amateur who also happens to boast a fortune valued by Forbes at $9.5 billion — teamed up with recently retired ATP pro Jack Sock at the 2025 Hall of Fame Open in Newport, RI.
The pair were quickly dispatched in straight sets by active pros Bernard Tomic and Omar Jasika in straight sets in Wednesday’s first round of the doubles draw. The younger Aussies won 6-1, 7-5 in 67 minutes.
“A disaster,” former US Open champion Roddick said of the match, adding that it was “the biggest joke I’ve ever watched in professional tennis.”
Navratilova, who won a total of 59 Grand Slam titles in both, weighed in as well, posting on social media: “Apparently you can buy yourself a wild card. Oh to have the confidence…”
Ackman, founder of Pershing Square Capital Management, was able to get into the tournament thanks to a “wildcard” system that allows entry to players who would otherwise not qualify based on rankings or qualifications.
Critics argued that Ackman’s inclusion, enabled by his wealth and influence rather than merit, undermines the purpose of the system.
Randy Walker, the tournament director, didn’t mince words, calling it “the absolute worst tennis match I have ever seen.”
He criticized the decision to grant Ackman a wildcard, saying it had not been earned through skill or contribution to the game.
Ackman, a prolific social media user, did not adress the ciriticism in a lengthy post on X.
“It was a very humbling experience that gives one even more respect for the pros who play for a living in front of the cameras and the crowds,” he wrote Thursday.
He attributed his poor performance to a sudden bout of “stage fright.”
“I can speak in front of an audience of a thousand people or in a TV studio on a broad range of topics without any preparation and without a twinge of fear, but yesterday I had my first real experience with stage fright,” he wrote.
“I found myself on a tennis court in a live-streamed professional tournament with a few hundred in the crowd. Throughout the match, my wrist, arm and body literally froze with the expected negative outcomes. I had difficulty breathing, and it was not a fitness issue. It got a bit better as the match progressed, but I was not able to overcome it.”
Ackman’s rep told The Post: “We don’t have anything more to add right now.”
The backlash over Ackman’s appearance extended beyond former players.
Veteran tennis journalist Jon Wertheim called it “wildly inappropriate and lacking in integrity,” especially given the match took place at a sanctioned event that offers ranking points and prize money.
Wertheim noted the irony that Ackman is a major financial supporter of the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), an organization dedicated to expanding professional opportunities for tennis players.
Fans and social media users also voiced disapproval, with many describing Ackman’s appearance as a “mockery” and a “publicity stunt.”
Glenn Greenwald, the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and avid tennis fan, slammed Ackman on X, writing that he “used his vast wealth to worm his way into a professional, ATP-sanctioned tennis tournament at the Hall of Fame at the age of 59.”
“It’d be as if Bill Gates got the Seattle Mariners to let him be a starting pitcher for their AAA team,” Greenwald wrote, calling Ackman’s tournament appearance an exercise in “pathetic ego-stroking.”
The Challenger circuit is considered a lower level of professional tennis akin to minor league baseball.
Ackman’s appearance came as part of the newly restructured Hall of Fame Open, which this year debuted as a combined ATP and WTA Challenger 125 event.
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