Bill Ackman is trying to make tennis history.
The 59-year-old billionaire investor said he could become the oldest player to receive official ATP ranking points with a win at the Hall of Fame Open next week in Newport, Rhode Island.
Ackman will team up with Olympic gold medalist Jack Sock in the grass court event. Sock, who is also a two-time doubles Grand Slam champion, invited him to play after receiving a wild card, Ackman said in a post on X.
“I strongly encourage you to visit the Hall of Fame, attend the tournament, and come to cheer us on (or boo me, if that is your point of view),” he told his 1.8 million followers. “If we win, I am pretty sure I will be the oldest person in tennis history at 59 to win ATP points.”
A fun story:
— Bill Ackman (@BillAckman) March 26, 2025
I reposted an incredible @NickKyrgios@DjokerNole doubles point, and Nick replied with an offer of a tennis lesson. I DM’d him taking him up on the offer and sent him some practice and doubles match videos. He then proposed that we are going to play a futures… https://t.co/sY8hMnXFwP
Ackman and Sock have the chance to win as many as 125 ranking points at the Challenger event, which is typically for lower-ranked professionals. By contrast, Grand Slam winners have the chance to win as many as 2,000 points.
The Pershing Square Capital Management founder had made plans to play in an ATP tournament with Nick Kyrgios earlier this year, but those have been delayed due to a string of injuries for the former Wimbledon finalist.
Ackman has long been a backer of the sport, having invested in initiatives designed to help professional players pursue business opportunities off the court. He also is a supporter of the Professional Tennis Players Association, a group that has recently sued the sport’s governing bodies for allegedly running a cartel that caps prize money.