2022-01-06 20:00:36
Australian Open Becomes First Grand Slam Tennis Tournament To Take A Crack At The Metaverse
The Australian Open has always been at the forefront when it comes to trying out new innovations. In 2020, the Australian Open held an esports event called the Fortnite Summer Smash, with a prize pool of $100,000.
This year, the Australian Open will be releasing a collection of 6,776 NFTs corresponding to minuscule plots on the tournament court’s surface. The tournament will also be hosting a virtual event for the Australian Open on Decentraland.
Australian Open Tournament Director Craig Tiley commented,
“With this next wave of technology, global tennis fans will have the opportunity to be part of the 2022 Australian Open in a way never before available. The AO has always been seen as one of the most innovative sporting events in the world, and this project is just another example of our team pushing the boundaries to provide our fans with better access and engagement with the AO.”
Each winning shot from every match of the tournament will correspond to an NFT included in the collection. NFT owners of each NFT will receive an airdrop that will include the footage of the winning point, Official merchandise, and virtual wearables, according to a statement released by officials.
When a championship point lands on a plot, the owner of that particular plot will receive the ball used for the championship point in a specially handcrafted case. Talking about the allocation of the court plot, the director of Run It Wild, Adam De Laca, stated,
“The court plot tied to the NFT will be randomly allocated and revealed when they are minted, meaning a buyer can’t choose a specific position on-court.”
The project also features 169 NFTs titled the Australian Open Artists Series. This collection features art from both international and local artists.
The Australian Open has also created a virtual world in the Decentraland Metaverse titled AO Decentraland. The virtual reality platform will enable tennis fans to explore the Australian Open in detail on Decentraland. Fans will also be able to interact with players in the tournament, along with other fans. They will also be able to participate in challenges and view unique Australian Open content.
Speaking about the Australian Open’s foray into the Metaverse, Tennis Australia’s project manager, Ridley Plummer, stated,
“We want the AO to be the world’s most accessible and inclusive sports and entertainment event, and with the unique challenges fans have faced getting to Melbourne, we’ve fast-tracked our launch into the Metaverse.”
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