Billionaire Bill Ackman Slammed After Losing in Professional Tennis Debut: ‘Biggest Joke I’ve Ever Watched’
- - - Billionaire Bill Ackman Slammed After Losing in Professional Tennis Debut: ‘Biggest Joke I’ve Ever Watched’
Jillian FrankelJuly 12, 2025 at 3:05 AM
Michael Nagle/Bloomberg/Getty
Bill Ackman at the Finance Cup in New York City on Sept. 12, 2015
After losing his first professional doubles tennis match, billionaire Bill Ackman is facing a range of criticism
The match took place in Rhode Island at the Hall of Fame Open on Wednesday, July 9
"This was the biggest joke I’ve ever watched in professional tennis," former tennis professional Andy Roddick said in an episode of his Served podcast
Billionaire Bill Ackman is facing a range of criticism after losing his first professional match.
Ackman, the 59-year-old founder of hedge fund Pershing Square Capital Management, paired up with former tennis professional Jack Sock against Australians Bernard Tomic and Omar Jasika at the Hall of Fame Open in Rhode Island on Wednesday, July 9.
But things quickly went downhill and they ultimately lost 6-1 and 7-5 in straight sets.
"This was a total miss. Now, the job of the Hall of Fame is to preserve and celebrate excellence in our sport," former player Andy Roddick said in an episode of his Served podcast. "This was the biggest joke I’ve ever watched in professional tennis."
"It's nothing personal against Bill Ackman, he can do what he wants. If his dream was to do it and someone's going to let him do it," the former no. 1 star continued. "It's not his fault, I don't blame him, right? Someone has to say yes to this."
Roddick added that the match was beneath the Hall of Fame, calling it a "disaster."
Ackman acknowledged the tough results in a post to X on Thursday, noting the impact of stage fright on his public performance. "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," he explained.
"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," he continued. "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."
“I feel like maybe it’s one and done,” Ackman said, according to The New York Times. “But I figured one, in my life, that seemed fair.”
Former tennis star Martina Navratilova took to social media to accuse him of improperly obtaining his spot at the event. "Apparently you can buy yourself a wild card. Oh to have the confidence…," she posted on X.
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"Bill Ackman 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," journalist Glenn Greenwald posted on X. "His level was so abysmal that it forced the professional players on the court to pat the ball to him, enraging the tennis world."
“To be clear, in no way was money exchanged in return for the wild card. Per ATP rules, players may not receive compensation and players may not offer compensation in exchange for a wild card, and the Hall of Fame Open followed those rules," a representative from the International Tennis Hall of Fame told CNN Sports.
"The press on my professional debut has been brutal, and indeed, it was not my best showing," Ackman wrote in a follow-up social media post, adding, "All in all a great experience for which I am eternally grateful."
on People
Source: AOL Sports
