After Novak Djokovic & Carlos Alcaraz's Canadian Open withdrawals, $9.5B-worth Bill Ackman takes sly dig at controversy over his Challenger wildcard

Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, and Bill Ackman - Source: Getty
Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, and Bill Ackman - Source: Getty

Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner recently pulled out from the Canadian Open, citing personal reasons. Following these withdrawals, $9.5B-worth (as per Forbes) Bill Ackman took a dig at the controversy over his wildcard entry at the 2025 Hall of Fame Open.

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Djokovic, Alcaraz and Sinner, who were among the final four of Wimbledon 2025, have announced their withdrawal from the Canadian Open, which is slated to begin on July 26. The top three players have pulled out from the Toronto event to seemingly recover from their exertions at Wimbledon.

These withdrawals caught the attention of Ackman, who recently made headlines after he was accused of bribing the HOF for his doubles wildcard at the 2025 Hall of Fame Open in Newport. Ackman teamed up with former American tennis player Jack Sock, and lost 6-1, 7-5 to the pair of Omar Jasika and Bernard Tomic in the first round.

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The billionaire was accused of receiving the wildcard due to his wealth and not his skills, given that he offered a $10M gift to the International Tennis Hall of Fame, which invited him to the event. Sharing the news of Djokovic and Sinner withdrawing from the upcoming tournament, Ackman wrote:

"I too have decided it is advisable to skip the Toronto Open this year."
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Novak Djokovic was seen struggling with an injury to his leg in the semi-final round of Wimbledon against Sinner. Citing this injury, the Serb has taken time to recover for his appearance in the tournaments after the Canadian Open.


Novak Djokovic opened up about his Wimbledon loss against Jannik Sinner

Jannik Sinner stopped Novak Djokovic's pursuit of his 25th Grand Slam title at Wimbledon by winning their semifinal 6-3, 6-3, 6-4. Following the loss, the Serb spoke in a press conference and opened up about how his age and body might be affecting his game.

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Stating that he can really play 'good tennis,' Djokovic said: (as quoted by ATP Tour)

“It's just age, the wear and tear of the body. As much as I'm taking care of it, the reality hits me right now, last year and a half, like never before, to be honest. It's tough for me to accept that because I feel like when I'm fresh, when I'm fit, I can still play really good tennis. I've proven that this year."
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Responding to a question about whether his career in Wimbledon has ended, the Serb added:

“I would be sad, but hopefully it's not my last match on the Centre Court. I'm not planning to finish my Wimbledon career today. So I'm planning to come back definitely at least one more time, play on the Centre Court for sure. I don't know what I can do differently, because the amount of hours that I spend on a daily basis to take care of myself. 'I'd like to challenge everyone who is out there on the tour to see if anybody takes care of themselves more than me."

Novak Djokovic opened his 2025 season by competing at the Brisbane International, where he exited in the quarterfinals after being defeated by Reilly Opelka. He then reached the semifinals of the Australian Open, before repeating the feat at Roland Garros and Wimbledon.

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Edited by Tushhita Barua
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