Bill Ackman has been criticized for his participation in a professional tennis tournament. He denied any accusations of bribery related to his entry and clarified that he made no commitments to the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Ackman also announced a substantial financial endowment for the Hall of Fame that he will manage without charge. Many, including professional player Andy Roddick, have ridiculed his wildcard entry, which some consider a detriment to actual competitors. Ackman extensively elaborated on his poor performance, attributing it to his opponents deliberately playing down to his skill level.
Ackman denied the charge that his doubles match at the tournament was a pay-for-play situation. "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."
Andy Roddick called Ackman's wildcard entry the 'biggest joke I've ever watched in professional tennis.' Journalist Jon Wertheim pointed out that Ackman is helping fund the Professional Tennis Player's Association.
Ackman has also offered a laborious, multi-part explanation for why he played badly, stating that his opponents abandoned all pretense of competition and began tapping the ball toward him.
Ackman announced a few paragraphs later that he would be granting the Hall of Fame a '$10 million endowment that I will manage for free.'
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