Ahead of the start of the 2022 Australian Open (AO) on 17 January, the competition has announced the release of a collection of 6,776 NFTs and a virtual event in partnership with metaverse project, Decentraland.

The NFT collection, ‘Art Balls’, will connect to the day-day competition at the Grand Slam, with every winning shot to match to one of the NFTs, with the owners to receive an airdrop with footage of the point, virtual wearables and Australian Open merchandise.

Each NFT will be connected to a space in the main court at the tournament, with the organisers to also stream the competition in the 3D virtual reality platform, Decentraland, featuring a number of virtual prizes and competitions.

Tennis Australia is expected to raise $2.4 million through the sale of all 6,776 NFTs, with the Australian Tennis Foundation and carbon offsetting to see the majority of funds raised.

Tennis Australia CEO and Australian Open tournament director, Craig Tiley, said the launch of the NFT collection is “an 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,” Tiley said.

Included in the NFT is also property rights for a 19cmx19cm space within the main court at Melbourne Park’s Rod Laver Arena.

The virtual stream on Decentraland will provide viewers with 24-hour access to the live broadcast, archived matches throughout the history of the competition, and highlights, as well as the opportunity to play simulated tennis and travel throughout the venue.

Throughout the NFT collection, 169 of the NFTs will feature custom designs from winners of the AO Artist Series competition, 22 will be wrapped in historical AO artwork, and the remaining designs will be randomly created with the help of an algorithmic combination of unique colour schemes, patterns and textures.