The International Tennis Hall of Fame (HOF) has rejected a $10 million donation from billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman, Front Office Sports has confirmed.
A spokesperson for the Hall of Fame confirmed the decision on Tuesday, saying only: “We can confirm, yes,” in response to a request for confirmation. “No further comment at this time.”
The donation—which Ackman publicly pledged in a lengthy social media post over the weekend—was announced just days after his wildcard entry into the Hall of Fame Open drew widespread criticism from players, fans, and tennis players alike.
Ackman, 59, played a doubles match alongside former pro Jack Sock on July 9 at the ATP Challenger event in Newport, R.I. The pair lost in straight sets, but the 67-minute match was all it took to spark backlash within the tennis community, particularly from former US Open champion Andy Roddick.
Roddick unloaded on Ackman’s performance in his “Quick Serve” podcast, calling the match “a disaster,” “beneath the Hall of Fame,” and “the biggest joke I’ve ever watched in professional tennis.”
Roddick questioned how Ackman secured the wildcard, although the Hall of Fame confirmed to FOS that he was part of the official wildcard entry in partnership with Sock.
In an apparent attempt at damage control, Ackman posted a lengthy defense of the match on Twitter, announcing a $10 million endowment to support youth programs and operations at the HOF.
A letter sent to Hall of Fame members and the HOF Board, which FOS obtained, said the donation was rejected to avoid “any perception of impropriety.”
“In hindsight, we would not make this decision again,” it added, referring to Ackman’s wildcard entry.
On Wednesday night, Ackman responded to the rejection with another lengthy post. “In a world where no good deed goes unpunished, I will do my best to attempt another good deed for the sport of tennis,” he wrote, citing the Hall of Fame’s decision as being “for ‘optics,’ whatever that means.”
Ackman also announced a new $10 million donation to the Junior Tennis Champions Center in Maryland.
