Australian Open's Drops NFTS
Australian Open's NFT Tennis Balls Crash in Value – A 90% Drop Leaves Holders in the Lurch
Greetings Warriors
We need to talk about one of the wildest rides in sports NFTs—the Australian Open’s Artball project. If you remember the hype back in 2022, this NFT collection was supposed to be a game-changer. Fast forward to 2025, and almost 10,000 digital tennis ball NFTs have plunged up to 90% in value. Let’s break down what happened.
The Rise: Australian Open's Big Bet on NFTs
At the peak of the NFT craze, Tennis Australia launched the AO Artball NFT collection, offering fans the chance to own a piece of the action. The project tied 6,776 ball NFTs to 19cm x 19cm plots of the Melbourne Park court, later expanding with another 2,454 NFTs in 2023.
Mint Price in 2022: 0.067 ETH (~$278 at the time)
Mint Price in 2023: 0.23 ETH (~$446 at the time)
With Ethereum's value fluctuating, these NFTs could have been worth $338–$1,162 today if they had held their value. Spoiler alert—they didn’t.
The Rise: Australian Open's Big Bet on NFTs
At the peak of the NFT craze, Tennis Australia launched the AO Artball NFT collection, offering fans the chance to own a piece of the action. The project tied 6,776 ball NFTs to 19cm x 19cm plots of the Melbourne Park court, later expanding with another 2,454 NFTs in 2023.
Mint Price in 2022: 0.067 ETH (~$278 at the time)
Mint Price in 2023: 0.23 ETH (~$446 at the time)
With Ethereum's value fluctuating, these NFTs could have been worth $338–$1,162 today if they had held their value. Spoiler alert—they didn’t.
The Fall: Prices Drop as Australian Open Backs Away
Holders expecting long-term utility were in for a shock. By 2025, the floor price for AO Artball NFTs on OpenSea had dropped to just 0.005 ETH (~$25). Some recent sales were as low as 0.003 ETH (~$15), a devastating loss compared to their mint price.
Even worse? Tennis Australia seems to have abandoned the project.
2024: No new NFTs were minted, but owners could still redeem ground passes.
2025: No official word from the Australian Open, no new perks, and the Artball program’s websites and Discord server were shut down.
For many holders, this is the harsh reality of NFT projects tied to corporate brands—once the hype fades, so does the support.
Why Did the Australian Open Ditch NFTs?
In 2023, Ridley Plummer, then Tennis Australia’s senior manager of metaverse, NFTs, Web3, and crypto, was still defending the project. He stated:
“We shouldn’t just put down our tools and walk away because the market’s having its challenges.”
A year later, Plummer’s job title changed to senior manager of digital sales and metaverse—and the AO Artball project quietly faded away.
Instead, the Australian Open is now focused on new digital ventures:
A Roblox tennis experience with simulated commentary
A Minecraft challenge for young students
Facial recognition technology at the tournament for security—raising privacy concerns
The Bigger Picture: What This Means for Sports NFTs
The AO Artball collapse is another cautionary tale in the world of sports NFTs. While projects start with ambitious roadmaps, long-term commitment is rare. If the brand behind it walks away, NFT holders are left with nothing but digital dust.
This raises the big question: Are sports NFTs a real investment, or just a marketing gimmick?
What do you think? If you’re holding an AO Artball NFT, are you riding it out or cutting your losses? Drop a comment and let’s discuss. 🔥🎾 #NFTCommunity #Web3 #TennisNFTs
