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By Randy Walker
@TennisPublisher
The following is my response, presented in piece meal, to the social media post on X by Bill Ackman where he announced a $10 million contribution to the International Tennis Hall of Fame just days after playing a main draw doubles match in the Hall of Fame Open as a wild card entry that he was accused of allegedly “buying.” The purchase or exchanging something of value for a wild card is strictly illegal under the rules of the International Tennis Integrity Association and subject to suspensions and fines.
I was favorable disposed towards Ackman prior to this episode and the International Tennis Hall of Fame is something I value as a treasure in the sport. This, along with the respect I have for the quality of play in Futures events and Challengers, makes this so personally upsetting to me. I run a $15,000 “Futures” level tournament in Vero Beach, Florida – the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships – so I see first-hand what it means to up-and-coming players just to have just to have an opportunity to play in a Futures event at that level, let alone a $200,000 ATP Challenger like that at the Hall of Fame, which is a much bigger opportunity and just below the ATP Tour level.
Just watch the reaction from Aidan Borosko and Jovan Lubbe when they won a main draw doubles wild card tournament to get into our $15,000 event in 2025 here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAhZ43CNhTw
Or watch Marcelo Rodriguez reacting to winning our 2025 main draw singles wild card event here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10sclE4R_5g
And listen to Christian Docter of Vero Beach speak about getting his chance to finally play in a Futures level doubles event after clinching a wild card here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMEA8HteVh0&t=90s
Ackman’s statement from his X post are in italics and my commentary in regular text is below that.
My last post on the International Hall of Fame Tennisgate.
While I don’t mind and do deserve the ridicule about my poor play at the @TennisHalloFame, the Tennis Hall of Fame itself has received a lot of totally unfair criticism.
The HOF gave @JackSock and me a wildcard to increase interest in its challenger tournament and the Hall of Fame itself.
Shouldn’t the Hall of Fame inductees be the subject of the most amount of publicity for the Hall of Fame rather than a circus show during a Challenger-level tennis event?
That is precisely the purpose of wildcards.
No, wild cards are not given for circus shows. They are used primarily to give up-and-coming players a shot at a higher level tennis or to give accomplished players an opportunity in any kind of comeback (Jack Sock is not coming back to pro tennis) or to give players that miss an entry deadline and need a wild card to gain entry into the event.
I am not the first non-pro to get a wildcard in a pro event by a long shot.
There have been sketchy wild cards given out in the past, but mainly on the Futures tour, which is a much lower level than a $200,000 Challenger event and certainly not on such a high-profile venue as the International Tennis Hall of Fame. This wild card was the most egregious example of an undeserving wild card ever. And “non-pros” or anyone no is nowhere near playing at a professional level should NEVER get wild cards into pro events.
The HOF’s wildcard strategy succeeded beyond their wildest imaginations with coverage in every major media outlet around the world, and hundreds of millions of views and commentary on social media including a mini-doc about the match that went viral.
Media around the world ridiculed you and the Hall of Fame for this shameful decision. Since you call this “TennisGate” I guess you are saying that Richard Nixon got a lot of “press” because of Watergate?
Most of the coverage was negative, but almost entirely because of my poor play. Many also claimed that I bribed the HOF for the wildcard, which is entirely untrue. The HOF asked me for nothing and I made no commitments to the HOF. I had in the past donated to the HOF, but had done nothing in recent years.
No, the Hall of Fame got equal blame for granting you the wild card. A bribe is a serious offense. This had the impression of quid pro quo – I will do something good for you, ie pay you a lot of money, if you do something unethical for me for my benefit.
With respect to the criticism the HOF received for my poor play, this is entirely on me.
No, the Hall of Fame was rightly severely criticized for giving you the wild card. And deservedly so.
What has not been disclosed is that I played a doubles tournament 10 days prior at the HOF, and I played great. The field was comprised of former pros and top college players from around the world, but 55 plus in age.
The Finance Cup is not any kind of sanctioned event with anything on the line. It is not a “real” event. You can’t compare competing against 55-year-olds in what is kind of informal non-sanctioned competition to playing against ATP ranked pros in a sanctioned $200,000—level ATP Challenger event who are 25 years younger. This is delusional.
Richey Reneberg and I lost in the semis to the ultimate winners of the tournament in the tie breaker.
Richey was one of the best doubles players in the world when he played on the tour, so obviously he even carried you at the Finance Cup. Who did you lose to?
On the basis of my play during that tournament and my public profile, the HOF made the bet that Jack and I would drive a lot of coverage and interest, and I would play respectably, so it would be a good, fun, and appropriate use of a wildcard.
If the goal of the Hall of Fame was to increase interest in the event, why did the Hall of Fame first say that they offered the wild card to Jack Sock, who then said that Sock invited you to partner with him? They didn’t even send out a press release or make a social post saying that you were playing in the event, despite sending out press releases and making social media posts about standout players who would be competing in the event? Why is that a source of mine on the ground in Newport confronted a very senior Hall of Fame official about this wild card and the HOF official said the wild card was only offered to Sock and they were very upset that he chose to play with you because of the growing controversy. The HOF official also said that they couldn’t control who Sock chose to play with when offered the wild card (which is false).
Both you and the Hall of Fame had conflicting statements on how the wild card decision came about, as you can read here: https://worldtennismagazine.com/bill-ackman-hall-of-fame-contradict-each-other-on-how-the-controversial-wild-card-came-about/25364
This was not an appropriate use of a wild card since you are far from a qualified player and deserving choice and made a mockery of the event and of pro tennis and the Hall of Fame. It was a huge gamble by the Hall of Fame which failed and their instincts were way off. The tennis public is outraged and any sensible person in the tennis world is in agreement.
Where things went wrong is that I hadn’t been beta tested in a professional tournament and my nerves got to me.
You have not been beta tested in ANY sanctioned event. You do not have a Universal Tenns Rating or World Tennis Number and no activity what so ever in any kind of U.S. Tennis Association, International Tennis Federation or UTR event. To be a champion tennis player or any kind of successful competitive tennis player, you have to play REAL matches and deal with nerves.
Jack also chose the ad side and I have been playing the ad side for the last year. I was also serving into the 1:30pm sun with a shot clock (a new experience for me), and to make matters worse the other side held back making the whole thing look like a farce.
These are even more reasons that you did not deserve the wild card as this is basic stuff in any kind of competitive and professional environment. This is laughable and sets you up for even more ridicule and adds more to the case that you are wildly undeserving of this opportunity. The other side (Bernard Tomic and Omar Jasika) holding back certainly made it look worse and that is another element to this match which made it so suspicious and a mockery.
What people are missing is that the whole thing worked out perfectly. My poor play dramatically increased the virality of the event, driving massively more coverage than if I had played well.
This is true, although I wouldn’t say that it worked out “perfectly” as the Hall of Fame’s integrity – and your reputation – is now severely tarnished and called into question unlike it ever has. The circus nature of the match made it viral, because it was so ridiculous.
So now let me make it better. The HOF is an incredible venue, museum, and tourist attraction, and
most people, even tennis fans, didn’t even know it existed until last week.
The Hall of Fame is a very special place. Most logical people know that all sports have Halls of Fame. If they had never heard of it before this week, they are unlikely to ever go there anyway.
It relies on charitable funding for its existence as a non-profit. So each year the HOF has to go find corporate sponsors and donations to stay solvent, a not so easy task.
True. Although their sanction to their previously owned 250-level ATP event was sold to Qatar, by the direction of the ATP Tour, for millions of dollars.
@NeriOxman and I are going to help endow the Hall of Fame by giving the HOF a $10 million endowment that I will manage for free. Each year, we will give the HOF 5% of the then endowment principal so the HOF will now have a growing annuity to fund its work and won’t have to worry about hiring financial advisors and paying big fees.
You just mentioned that you did not “bribe” the Hall of Fame but now, four days after this infamous match where you were accused of allegedly “buying” the wild card, you make this astronomical contribution? Even more red flags are flying now!
An investment in Pershing Square without fees over the last 21 years has generated a 56-fold return so if we continue to do a good job, the HOF will be able to dramatically expand its mission over time.
Why didn’t you make this contribution before? Surely you were aware of the Hall of Fame prior to your appearance there?
We will ask the HOF to use the funds to promote youth interest in tennis and other activities that enhance the game for the players and the fans. As the endowment grows. the funds can go to other initiatives that promote the game of tennis around the world.
This is a generous investment but where the money should go to would have been better served going to another entity because the Hall of Fame is not in the business of promoting youth interest in the game. The International Tennis Hall of Fame’s mission is to preserve and promote the history of tennis and celebrate its champions, serving as a vital partner in the growth of tennis globally. The “players” that you mention are the Hall of Famers and probably don’t need much help. The Hall of Fame do not, other than at their annual tennis tournament, help youth tennis. The money would have been better spent on the USTA Foundation or the International Tennis Federation’s Development Program that is aimed at growing tennis globally with a focus on developing nations and underserved communities.
Since this contribution was “influenced” by playing in the Challenger event – and taking away an opportunity for a more deserving player and disrespecting this level of competition by having you in it – perhaps this contribution should go to further development of the Challenger Tour or the lower levels of the game, where players who would routinely beat you 6-0, 6-0 without even a drop of sweat, are losing in the first round of Futures events and receiving prize money checks for $75 (as well as hotel, food, stringing and transportation bills much more than that, putting them immediately in debt. Why not create a Bill Ackman Pro Tennis Circuit (like the USTA Southern California Section has done) with a series of co-ed Futures and Challenger level events in the New York area that gives struggling pros more opportunities to compete, make more money and earn ranking points. And at the same time, hold kids clinics and activations to further promote the sport. Each event can have “wild card” tournaments where the winners EARN the wild cards into the event. (Not given to undeserving billionaires, for example.) You can play in these wild card events, which would be open to all, to continue to test your competitive skills. Pro-am events can also be held as fundraisers that you can also compete in against pro players.
By giving this money to the International Tennis Hall of Fame, it increases the perception that this was an alleged quid pro quo and that the wild card was “bought.”
In summary, the HOF engineered one of the greatest public relations achievements in tennis history.
Actually, it was one of the biggest public relations FAILURES of all time. Just read the articles!! Your reputation has suffered. The Hall of Fame reputation has suffered. I have volunteered for years (although some years ago) for the Hall of Fame on the “Friends of International Tennis Hall of Fame” committee and assisted with the development committee. I love and treasure the grounds in Newport and have great memories at Newport Casino with the late, great Bud Collins, whose books I published for years, who also regarded the Hall of Fame as a tennis nirvana. Now, I am completely disgusted by this.
My failure on the court contributed to its success.
Your failure on the court contributed to the failure of this.
That sounds like a grand slam to me.
You mean “Grand Scam”
Stealing victory from the jaws of defeat (think @carlosalcaraz French Open final) is one of the things that makes tennis great.
This is an odd take.
On another note, my partner Richey Reneberg and I hereby challenge @Served_Podcast Andy Roddick and the amateur of his choice to doubles on my court. And feel free to bring the cameras as I am now battle ready.
I’ll bet the price to play against Andy Roddick in this context is at least $10 million (contribution to his Andy Roddick Foundation?) Why don’t you and Richey play the USTA Men’s 55s National Grass Court Championships or an official ITF Masters Tour event together to show and prove to the world how good you really are rather than us relying on your word for how good you are playing in back door tennis games against players who may or may not be trying their hardest to appease you and perhaps get an investment or donation from you.
Now on to the Wimbledon Final!
Please!
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