A billionaire hedge fund manager will team up with a two-time Wimbledon winner to make his ATP debut later this week. Bill Ackman is the founder and chief executive officer of Pershing Square Capital Management, a hedge fund with around £14.5billion in assets under management. Their stock portfolio is concentrated in several companies including Chipotle, Hilton and Alphabet.

Ackman himself boasts a net worth of nearly £7bn, according to Forbes, having forged a highly successful career for himself. However, the 59-year-old is set for a dramatic change when he takes to the tennis court at the Hall of Fame Open, an ATP Challenger event at the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island.

He will take part in the men's doubles alongside Jack Sock, who achieved doubles glory at Wimbledon in 2014 and 2018. They will face the Australian duo of Omar Jasika and Bernard Tomic in their opening match on Wednesday.

Speaking last week, Ackman revealed that he was yet to introduce himself to Sock. He also said they had not discussed which side of the court they would take, but Ackman insisted that he would be a team player.

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If they win their opening match, they will each receive 25 ranking points and prize money of $2,030 (£1,496), which Ackman says will go to Sock. He is a devoted tennis fan, having previously hit balls with the likes of Roger Federer and Stefanos Tsitsipas.

He has also earned a doubles victory over Noah Rubin, who won the Wimbledon junior singles title in 2014 and has tipped Ackman to play well at the Hall of Fame Open.

"He's definitely accustomed to pressure," explained Rubin. "The first time we played, I was shocked by his serve. For a guy that didn't really play his whole life, he can really pop a serve.

"If he's accelerating and going for his shots, he can definitely surprise people. I'm curious to see how he acclimates to the pressure of a tennis arena."

Asked to identify the strongest part of his game, Ackman said: "When my serve is on, it's good. I'm peaking next week. I'm going to try to have a lot of fun. We'll do everything we can to win and put on a good show. It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience."

Sock is coming out of retirement to play alongside Ackman, having initially stepped back from the sport in 2023. He now plays pickleball and was handed a wildcard to compete in the Hall of Fame Open after requesting to be involved.

A spokesperson for the International Tennis Hall of Fame said: "As a former champion here in Newport, Olympic gold medallist, and three-time major champion in doubles, the Hall of Fame was happy to support Jack Sock's wildcard request."

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