Wimbledon is the oldest tennis championship in the world, and, depending on who you ask, also the most prestigious. Famous for its traditions of strawberries, cream and royal attendance, it’s an unlikely collaborator with the disruptive world of NFTs- but that changed this week.
Two-time Wimbledon winner and now two-time NFT collaborator, Andy Murray has worked with Digital Artist Refik Anadol to create a visual representation of his performance at Wimbledon and an ode to the sport. Anadol took 18 years of Murray’s in-game data, originally collected by IBM, to create ‘The Exposition’. The artwork resembles a point cloud in the Wimbledon colours of purple and green, and is said to represent the ‘drama, the rivalries, and the Championship victories’ of Murray’s career and Wimbledon as a contest. Anadol has reimagined not only visual representations of high-performance sport data, but the role of blockchain technologies in sport and art more broadly.
The Exposition, stored on the Ethereum blockchain, was released for sale to fans for $147 on the 7th of July, exactly ten years after Murray’s first victory at Wimbledon. Owners of The Exposition will be given access to purchase a print edition of the artwork, produced by Avant Arte, and with confirmation of further collaboration between Murray and Anadol – these may become prized editions.
Sports and NFTs, like strawberries and cream, are a match made in heaven. Sports memorabilia has always been a core aspect of sporting communities, and NFTs offer a way to elevate this. Sports NFTs can offer fans the traditional collectible experience as well as unique experiences, games, highlights – ultimately enhancing fan experiences and the wider fan community.