Tennis legends Andy Roddick, Martina Navratilova – Business News
Bill Ackman’s foray into skilled tennis was met with widespread ridicule from legends Andy Roddick and Martina Navratilova after the billionaire finagled his manner into a doubles match on the hallowed grounds of the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
The 59-year-old hedge fund titan — a expert novice who additionally occurs to boast a fortune valued by Forbes at $9.5 billion — teamed up with just lately retired ATP professional Jack Sock on the 2025 Hall of Fame Open in Newport, RI.
The pair had been shortly dispatched in straight units by lively execs Bernard Tomic and Omar Jasika in straight units in Wednesday’s first spherical of the doubles draw. The youthful Aussies gained 6-1, 7-5 in 67 minutes.
Bill Ackman, the billionaire hedge fund supervisor, sparked criticism over the weekend after taking part in a skilled tennis match. Bloomberg through Getty Images
“A disaster,” former US Open champion Roddick stated of the match, including that it was “the biggest joke I’ve ever watched in professional tennis.”
Navratilova, who gained a complete of 59 Grand Slam titles in each, weighed in as nicely, 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 in a position to get into the match due to a “wildcard” system that enables entry to gamers who would in any other case not qualify primarily based on rankings or {qualifications}.
Ackman (seen backside proper) and his doubles associate Jack Sock misplaced to Omar Jasika and Bernard Tomic in straight units on Wednesday on the Hall of Fame Open in Newport, RI. ATP Tour
Critics argued that Ackman’s inclusion, enabled by his wealth and affect moderately than advantage, undermines the aim of the system.
Randy Walker, the match director, didn’t mince phrases, calling it “the absolute worst tennis match I have ever seen.”
He criticized the choice to grant Ackman a wildcard, saying it had not been earned by way of talent or contribution to the sport.
Ackman, a prolific social media consumer, didn’t adress the ciriticism in a prolonged 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 efficiency 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.
Andy Roddick the previous US Open champion, expressed outrage over Ackman’s participation within the match. Andy Roddick’s Served Media / YouTube
“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 advised The Post: “We don’t have anything more to add right now.”
The backlash over Ackman’s look prolonged past former gamers.
Veteran tennis journalist Jon Wertheim referred to as it “wildly inappropriate and lacking in integrity,” particularly given the match occurred at a sanctioned occasion that provides rating factors and prize money.
Wertheim famous the irony that Ackman is a main financial supporter of the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), an group devoted to increasing skilled alternatives for tennis gamers.
Martina Navratilova weighed in as nicely, posting on social media: “Apparently you can buy yourself a wild card. Oh to have the confidence…” Getty Images for WTA
Fans and social media customers additionally voiced disapproval, with many describing Ackman’s look 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 match look an train in “pathetic ego-stroking.”
The Challenger circuit is taken into account a decrease stage of skilled tennis akin to minor league baseball.
Ackman’s look got here as half of the newly restructured Hall of Fame Open, which this 12 months debuted as a mixed ATP and WTA Challenger 125 occasion.
