Acing the Cryptocurrency Market: 3 Tennis Stars Who Have Become Affiliated With Cryptocurrency

Advertorial: Tennis, the game adored by spectators, is defined by the green on the court, the softballs, and the quick movement of its players. Players are always gallivanting across the court to hit the ball and for spectators, the experience makes for intense viewing.

Worldwide tennis is popular thanks to its large viewership and many international competitions. At the highest level, the US Open and Wimbledon are considered to be the pinnacle of competitive tennis. Each year these competitions attract viewers down to the court to see the action, or in the case of Wimbledon, to get a taste of those strawberries and cream!

Aside from their sportsmanship, tennis stars have often been the favorites of tabloids and sports news websites because of their fame and marketability to sports fans. Their names are widely recognized and some of the modern greats include: the tennis sisters Venus and Serena Williams, Number 1-ranked Roger Federer, and the man known for his volleying ability, John McEnroe.

You may know tennis players from their faces or signature moves, but we bet you don’t know them for their ventures outside of the court!  We are used to seeing tennis players in campaigns for sports brands and fragrance endorsements, but what about other more niche ventures? Like, let’s say, cryptocurrency?

Some tennis stars have dabbled in cryptocurrency ventures over the last few years, whether that has been through sponsorship or from their own accord, they have spoken about it. Celebrities have begun to feel comfortable speaking about cryptocurrency openly because of cryptocurrency’s positive integration into society. Because it is now available to use for multiple purposes such as paying for expenses, playing online casino games like crypto poker, and using it in investments.

With these celebrities in the cryptocurrency space, there will be extensive contracts and stipulations for those who have chosen to sign crypto sponsorships. However, many tennis stars have just become crypto enthusiasts themselves or explored the crypto space.

1.  Oleksandra Oliynykova selling her arm as an advertisement in crypto

This young Ukranian tennis queen sold space on her arm for an ad and an NFT in 2021 which sold for over $5000! She sold the NFT on an NFT market site and it was bought using the Ethereum cryptocurrency for 3 Ether, equal to around the $5000 mark.

Olinynkova is known as a rising tennis star and currently ranks at number 392 in the WTA Singles Ranking by the International Tennis Federation.

The appeal for her selling her arm as advertising space was, according to the 23-year-old that because of her budding career, she will bring the owner’s message to “the biggest tennis locations in the world”. Well, it certainly could be true as since the advertising space between her elbow and shoulder was sold, she has gone on to make some significant wins in Women’s Singles tennis in many locations.

The owner in question of the NFT is a user called JumpHigh. In regards to her decision to turn part of her body into an NFT, the tennis pro said it’s an investment and she believes many more tennis players will be doing it in the future to connect with their fans and advertise cryptocurrency.

2.  Serena Williams’ multiple crypto-related business ventures

Serena William’s tennis career spanned 20 years until she retired in 2022. She was ranked as the Number One Singles player multiple times in her career. Under her belt,  she also has 14 women’s doubles titles which she acquired playing alongside her fellow tennis legend sister, Venus Williams.

The Michigan native has since delved into other interests alongside her tennis career to keep her busy. While it has become common for online casinos to sponsor tennis events, Serena has become her investor!

 Williams has expressed her interest in investing in the new generation. In this bracket, she mentioned Fintech, NFTs, Web 3, and cryptocurrency spaces in an interview with Bloomberg. Her existing investments in cryptocurrency include Lolli the Bitcoin rewards site and Nestcoin, a cryptocurrency targeted towards African people.

Also in her interview with Bloomberg, The 23-time Grand Slam Title winner said: “It’s something that I’m super passionate about and I just genuinely have so much fun with it.”

3.  Maria Sharapova's solid cryptocurrency advice and personal investments

Maria Sharapova has played tennis professionally since 2000. Her notable rise to fame came in 2004 after winning her first Grand Slam Title. The young player faced the favourite and the legendary Serena Williams who she beat out in the final at Wimbledon.

For the former Russian Number one tennis player, this marked a turning point in her career at such a young age. She continued to play professional tennis until her unfortunate retirement in 2020. After giving up her tennis career, Sharapova went into the world of business creating her confectionary brand, the cutely named Sugapova. Sharapova has continued her business ventures and was invited to speak about the world of cryptocurrency on investing and NFTs.

The 36-year-old was a guest speaker at the Binance Blockchain Week in Paris in 2022. She encouraged people who were curious about crypto to “ask questions”. She also has expressed an interest in NFTs and connecting with fans through crypto and is one of the investors of the crypto start-up Moonpay, which many high-profile celebrities have supposedly invested in.