The Australian Open Teams Up with Decentraland to Enter the Metaverse

The Australian Open is one of the biggest tennis tournaments in the world, so the fact that it is now entering both, the metaverse and NFT sectors did not go unnoticed. According to recent reports, Australian Open has partnered with Decentraland (MANA) — a metaverse project that uses NFTs to issue digital land and make it available for renting and purchase.

Furthermore, the tennis tournament will see this year’s championship also be held in Deentraland. It also created an NFT collection that will be made available for the fans.

Australian Open turns to Metaverse to battle a new COVID variant

It has been two years since COVID-19 emerged, and there is still no sign that the global pandemic is about to withdraw. However, life craves a return to normal, which has led to some interesting solutions. Through the use of modern technology, people are finding ways to gather and participate in events without endangering themselves.

Thanks to blockchain technology and its metaverse sector, it is now possible for people to participate in various events digitally. This is how the Australian Open — one of the biggest tennis tournaments in the world, and one of four Grand Slams — is handling events despite the surge in Omicron cases.

Its organizers recently announced a partnership with a Metaverse project Decentraland (MANA). By holding its tournament in physical and digital worlds alike, the Australian Open will allow locals and foreigners to enjoy the matches even if they cannot attend them in person.

By joining Metaverse, users will be able to access the main stadium, Rod Laver Arena, and observe tennis matches from all over the world. The Australian Open Tournament Director, Craig Tiley, stated that this is an opportunity that the tennis community never had before, and it was made possible thanks to the new wave of technology.

The tournament announces an NFT sale

Furthermore, the tournament has created a collection of 6,776 NFTs, called Art Ball NFTs. Each token will correspond to one of this year’s winning shots. Each token will be airdropped to its future owner alongside the footage of the point, as well as virtual wearables, benefits, and alike.

As for the championship, the project stated that, whenever one of the championships points to land on the plot, the holder of the connected NFT will be able to claim it and get a physical tennis ball used in the match. The ball will come in a unique, handcrafted case, and each ball will also be 100% unique.

The Art Ball NFTs will go on sale today, January 10th, and the Australian Open event on Decentraland will go live in 7 days, on January 17th, when the tournament itself begins.