Word is circulating that the International Tennis Hall of Fame turned down a generous $10 million offering from financial guru Bill Ackman after he stirred up controversy with his participation in their ATP Challenger competition, according to information obtained by Front Office Sports.
Ackman, aged 59 and a devoted tennis follower, took part in the Hall of Fame Open held in Rhode Island the previous week. Teaming up with Jack Sock, a former top-10 player, they faced off against Omar Jasika and Bernard Tomic, ultimately losing with scores of 6-1, 7-5.
The Challenger Tour stands just below the ATP Tour in ranking, yet it remains a legitimate professional event. Ackman secured his spot with a wild-card entry, owing to his past contributions to the Hall of Fame. However, his performance resembled that of a 59-year-old tennis enthusiast, rather than a seasoned professional. Despite Jasika and Tomic seemingly taking it easy on him, he and Sock were defeated in straight sets.
The decision to include a billionaire in the tournament that the Hall of Fame organizes was met with widespread critique from the tennis community. A prominent voice among the critics was Andy Roddick, a former world No. 1 and the most recent American male to clinch a Grand Slam singles title.
Roddick, during his “Quick Served” podcast, expressed his views, labeling the match as “a total miss,” “pathetic,” “hard to watch,” and “the biggest joke I’ve watched in professional tennis.” He clarified that he didn’t fault Ackman for playing, instead placing the responsibility on the Hall of Fame. While he commended the billionaire’s efforts, he believed the circumstances surrounding the match warranted a thorough review.
“Only one individual on that court appeared to be giving it their all,” Roddick commented. “… If anyone disagrees, I encourage them to watch the video again. It’s hard to argue that more than one person was genuinely trying their best on every point, or any point. The entire situation was a debacle.
“This, in my view, was a letdown for the Hall of Fame.”
You can assess the level of dedication from each player by watching the match video provided:
Following the match, Ackman shared a detailed tweet defending the Hall of Fame, acknowledging his own performance shortcomings, and committing to establish a $10 million endowment that he would oversee. The Hall would receive 10% of the principal annually.
He also described the match as a success overall, calling it “one of the greatest public relations achievements in tennis history” for the Hall, partly because of his poor performance, and challenged Roddick to a doubles match. He said the criticism directed toward the Hall was “entirely” his fault, but also attempted to explain the reasons behind his subpar play.
“It’s worth noting that I participated in a doubles tournament at the HOF ten days prior, and my performance was strong. The participants included former pros and top college players from various parts of the world, all aged 55 and above. Richey Reneberg and I reached the semi-finals, where we were defeated by the eventual tournament champions in a tie breaker … The issue arose because I hadn’t been tested in a professional tournament setting, and my nerves got the better of me.
“Additionally, Jack opted for the ad side, which I’ve been playing on for the past year. I was also serving into the 1:30pm sunlight with a shot clock, which was a new experience for me. To compound matters, the opposing side held back, making the entire situation appear farcical.”
Success can be defined differently by different people, but it seems the Hall wasn’t as pleased as Ackman with the outcome. While the Hall declined to provide an official statement to FOS, it reportedly communicated to its members and board that it would decline the donation to prevent “any perception of impropriety.”
It further noted, “Looking back, we wouldn’t repeat this decision,” in reference to Ackman’s participation.
On Wednesday evening, Ackman announced via Twitter that he would instead provide a $10 million endowment to the Junior Tennis Champion Center, which counts Frances Tiafoe among its alumni.
Ackman emphasized that JTCC had already accepted the gift, adding “all’s well that ends well.”
