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.