The International Tennis Hall of Fame just served up one of the most cringe-worthy moments in professional tennis—and it’s not just because of a billionaire’s weak backhand.
The Hall made waves last week by handing hedge fund titan Bill Ackman, 59, a wild-card entry into the ATP Challenger event it hosts in Newport, Rhode Island. Ackman, a passionate tennis fan but very much not a professional athlete, paired up with former top-10 player Jack Sock in doubles—and got predictably steamrolled, 6-1, 7-5, by Bernard Tomic and Omar Jasika.
The whole thing felt more charity match than pro tournament. Tomic and Jasika visibly eased up, and the sight of a billionaire fumbling around in a pro-level event left fans and pros alike stunned. Former world No. 1 Andy Roddick shredded the decision, calling it “pathetic,” “a total miss,” and “the biggest joke I’ve watched in professional tennis.”
“There was exactly one person on that court trying as hard as they could,” Roddick said. “This was beneath the Hall of Fame.”
Ackman later defended his play in a rambling tweet, blamed the sun, nerves, and court position, and then offered the Hall a $10 million endowment—managed by himself—as a make-good. He even spun the whole thing as a PR win and challenged Roddick to a doubles match.
But the Hall quietly backpedaled. According to Front Office Sports, it quietly told its members it would reject the money to avoid “any perception of impropriety” and admitted, “In hindsight, we would not make this decision again.”
Translation: yes, we embarrassed ourselves—on our own court, in our own tournament.
By allowing a mega-donor to take the court in what’s supposed to be a legitimate pro event, the Hall of Fame undermined the integrity of the sport and torched its own credibility. And now, it’s trying to clean up the mess by turning down millions.
That’s not a foot fault. That’s a full-blown unforced error.
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