The Australian Open started on January 17th. But while the sport was delayed in initial reports by falling back from world number one Novak Djokovic, pros can now dedicate themselves entirely to the competition for victory in the Grand Slam. The tournament has something special in store for tennis fans. Because the sporting event started with two different sets of NFTs.

“The Australian Open is proud to be one of the most innovative sports and entertainment events in the world, and we are thrilled that our expansion into the Metaverse and Decentraland brings our sport to more fans than ever before,” said Chief Commercial Officer Cedric. Cornelis in one press release announced.

In addition to the designated Metaverse Twitter account, Tennis Australia – the organization behind the event – is hiring a Project Manager for NFT and Metaverse. “We have a longstanding commitment to the Metaverse. Metaverse is not going anywhere, and as a company we are investing in continuing to grow our online presence and pushing the boundaries of innovation,” said Ridley Plummer, who now oversees projects in the virtual world.

Dynamic NFTs write tennis history

The first appearance of the NFT at the Australian Open was made by the so-called dynamic NFTs. AO issued tennis balls accompanied by a digital certificate. A total of 6,776 balls connected to a specific part of the tennis court: as a kind of digital twin on the court, which is updated in real time with current data from more than 400 matches. This is made possible by AO Partners, among others MetamaskAnd the decentralization And the chain link. The Genesis Collection sold out in minutes.

In addition to the Genesis collection, AO has also launched an NFT series that aims to celebrate important historical events. in the trading hall Sweet Collectibles from the 1970s to the 1920s are gradually being phased out.

Speaking to BTC-ECHO, Sweet CEO Tom Maison explained that the excitement of NFTs is evident in the sports arena. In addition, the company believes that this euphoria will continue to grow in the coming years, “because clubs, leagues and sporting events such as the Australian Open have realized that these are not just small details on the radar; they have understood that from the first time someone honored an outing with a drawing In the cave, the fans showed their love for the sport,” said the CEO of BTC-ECHO. “NFTs ensure a world in which digital memorabilia is given the same guarantees of permanence, ownership, and openness as physical memorabilia – they are tied to the blockchain, which means they are yours,” Mizzone says. “Sports and NFT were made for each other…and we think – pardon the American football reference – that’s just a 1-yard line.”

Grand Slam at Metaverse

However, the crypto fever in Tennis Australia is not just limited to matching NFTs. For the first time, the first Grand Slam tournament will be held in Metaverse. Fans from all over the world can attend the match as spectators without having to travel to Melbourne. In times of a global pandemic, this is likely to be news that will make many sports fans happy. Plus exclusive content for virtual viewers in the Metaverse, in the format decentralization Digital meetings are also held.

The metaverse AO could also come in handy in the case of Djokovic. The world tennis champion cannot participate in the tournament as expected. However, in Decetraland, he can at least watch his rivals play – completely by default.