The Australian Open become the first Grand Slam tennis tournament at the metaverse with a pair of blockchain. The renowned tournament is launching a set of 6,776 non-fungible tokens (NFTs), as well as a digital event for the tournament on the metaverse network Decentraland. Every winning shot from the tournament’s 600 matches will be assigned NFT from the collection. According to the press, owners will get an airdrop containing point footage, virtual wearables, and Australian open apparel. According to project’s lead Ridley Plummer the setup will bring a warm Australian summer vibe through the computer screen, and will not be the last virtual event hosted by the tournament. If the winning point occur during a championship match the actual ball will be handed to the NFT owner. Once the collection is minted the court site for each NFT will be selected
The tournament’s Decentraland celebration will take place throughout the competition, which begins on January 17, and will involve challenges for fans to compete for virtual prizes.
As the epidemic disrupts many gatherings, virtual events like the Australian Open may become increasingly popular. metaverse early adopters attended a New Year’s Eve party hosted by One Times Square’s owner in Decentraland, which was attended by. In an interview, Plummer “We’ve always been recognized as one of the most distinctive and enjoyable events on the calendar,” says the organizer. This is more of an entertainment carnival than a tennis event; many people attend the Australian Open for eight or nine hours and never see a tennis ball.” The Australian Open collaborated with metaverse design studio Run It Wild on the tournament’s conception.
