‘Biggest joke I’ve ever watched in professional tennis’: Swift backlash after billionaire Bill Ackman’s pro debut

Bill Ackman, a big tennis fan, made his professional debut on Wednesday. (Elsa/Getty Images via CNN Newsource)

Billionaire Bill Ackman and organizers of a tennis tournament have been strongly criticized by former grand slam champions and social media after the hedge fund manager made his professional tennis debut, a match he ended up losing.

Ackman, who has a prominent social media presence on X, played with three-time grand slam doubles champion Jack Sock in the men’s doubles at the Hall of Fame Open – an event sanctioned by tennis’ world governing bodies, the ATP and the WTA, though CNN understands that the men’s side of the event is governed by ATP rules – on Wednesday where they lost in straight sets 6-1, 7-5 to Omar Jasika and Bernard Tomic.

The 59-year-old and Sock were vastly outplayed by their Australian opponents, coming second in almost every statistical measure in their match in Newport, Rhode Island.

Ackman had been invited to play by Sock, who had received a wild card entry to the tournament, which is a WTA 125 event and also sits on the ATP Challenger Tour, a lower-tier men’s tour focused at giving younger or aspiring players an opportunity to progress their careers.

Ackman – the founder and CEO of Pershing Square Capital Management and has a personal net worth of $9.5 billion according to Forbes – said it was a dream come true to play pro tennis just once.

“I feel like maybe it’s one and done,” Ackman said afterwards, per The New York Times. “But I figured one, in my life, that seemed fair.”

On social media, Ackman called the whole experience “very humbling” and detailed the “stage fright” he felt playing on a professional stage.

“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,” Ackman wrote on X.

“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.”

Strong criticism

While his appearance ticks off a lifetime goal for Ackman, his foray into professional tennis was met with derision from fans of the sport, including journalists and former pros.

Former world No. 1 Andy Roddick was extremely critical, highlighting his own involvement in the International Tennis Hall of Fame and the organization’s role in the sport.

“Bill Ackman, who’s been a massive tennis fan, supporter, funds the PTPA (Professional Tennis Players Association), does the whole thing, wanted to play a pro tournament. So, there was obviously some exchange of something,” the 2003 US Open winner said on his “Served” podcast. “You don’t give a wild card to someone who 50 players at my club are better than.

“This was a total miss. Now, the job of the Hall of Fame is to preserve and celebrate excellence in our sport. This was the biggest joke I’ve ever watched in professional tennis.”

When contacted by CNN Sports, the ATP pointed to its rule on wild cards, saying tournaments “may not receive compensation and players may not offer compensation in exchange for the awarding of a wild card.”

A spokesperson for the International Tennis Hall of Fame told CNN Sports: “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.”

CNN Sports has contacted Pershing Square Capital Management to offer Ackman the right of reply. CNN Sports has also reached out to Sock and the WTA for comment.

Roddick also called into question the effort levels of the players involved, apart from Ackman, saying that the match should be reviewed for its apparent lack of competitiveness.

“There was exactly one person on that court trying as hard as they could,” he said. “If you want to argue with me, go back and watch that video. And you can’t tell me there was more than one person trying as hard as they could every point, or any point. It was a disaster.”

On social media, Ackman wrote that the “competition were clearly holding back” which “made it even more difficult as I had too much time to think.”

CNN Sports has reached out to Jasika and Tomic via Tennis Australia for comment.

18-time grand slam singles champion Martina Navratilova weighed in on Ackman’s involvement, writing: “Apparently you can buy yourself a wild card. Oh to have the confidence…”

Tennis journalist Jon Wertheim also criticized the appearance of the hedge fund manager at the tournament, writing on X: “This would’ve been fine for a pro-am. For a sanctioned event with points and prize$? It was, at best, wildly inappropriate and lacking in integrity.”