Like many other athletes, tennis sensation and star Naomi Osaka has entered into the field of non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
Late last month, she launched a collection of NFTs of her original artwork, with the proceeds benefitting mental health initiatives.
“With NFTs, I’m able to choose special moments of my life to share directly with fans, which I find really empowering,” Osaka shared with Yahoo Sports. “Plus it’s an awesome way to be creative and tap into my passion for art.”
“NFTs and sports are a natural fit — it’s the new wave of collecting digitally on your phone and devices,” Osaka told People.
Yahoo Sports reports the tennis player’s latest NFTs are a part of Autograph’s Pre-Season Access collection. Autograph is a NFT platform launched and co-founded by fellow pro-athlete Tom Brady to intertwine renowned brands and popular figures across sports, entertainment and culture for a special digital experience.
“Autograph is also making NFTs much more accessible with various price ranges, so I think mostly anyone that wants to be a part of this ultimately can, which I find really appealing,” Naomi adds.
And just a few days ago, a press release announcement revealed that “the owner of the sixth and final Osaka NFT is putting the piece of digital artwork up for sale, hoping to capitalize on the favorable timing of the booming NFT market and the start of the U.S. Open tennis tournament this week in New York.”
Fellow athletes Simone Biles, Tiger Woods, and Derek Jeter are also amongst the Black athletes who have joined the NFT revolution.
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