ATP Launches ‘Love’, World’s 1st Digital Art Collection Generated From In-Match Tennis Data

The ATP has announced the launch of LOVE, a collection of stunning generative digital artworks created in collaboration with Art Blocks Engine and renowned artist Martin Grasser.

On sale from 6 December, the limited collection of NFTs will introduce new ways for fans to celebrate, admire and own impactful moments from the 2022 Nitto ATP Finals. As a first-of-its kind generative art project in tennis, LOVE will capture official in-match data from the ATP Tour’s season finale to generate unique and iconic works of digital art.

^{Test outputs generated from 2021 Nitto ATP Finals match data.}
The creative force behind LOVE is Martin Grasser, a leading artist and designer based in the Bay Area, supported by leading generative art house, ARTXCODE. Each piece of artwork tells the story of a winning play from the singles event in Turin, Italy, brought to life as a tennis ball striking a distinctively coloured court. The collection will include pieces of differing rarity including the Championship-Winning Point, Match-Winning Points, and Set-Winning Points, among other special editions.

In a world first, the project will generate artwork entirely from official tennis data, provided by Tennis Data Innovations. Shadows and court lines will indicate each ball’s location, velocity and direction of travel at the point of impact. Additional variables will be used to generate unexpected colours, texture and zoom, resulting in unique and beautiful collectibles for fans.

Martin Grasser: “Art is in everything—a newspaper, a letter, a swing in a tennis match. These ordinary objects and moments can be broken apart into simple components and built back up into more intricate languages.”

^{Test outputs generated from 2021 Nitto ATP Finals match data.}
The collection is being delivered in collaboration with Art Blocks Engine, the world’s leading platform for generative digital art. It marks Art Blocks Engine’s first partnership in the sports world and ATP’s first venture in the web3 space.

Hugh Heslep, Art Blocks Chief Operating Officer: “Art Blocks Engine is the newest offering from Art Blocks, aimed at pushing forward the power of generative and allowing partners to share the magic of the minting experience with their communities. This project with ATP is a compelling use case for the intersection of tennis and dynamic digital collectibles, commemorating what will be historic moments from the Nitto ATP Finals. We are so excited to be a part of this project furthering the intersection of art, sports, and crypto.”

Adding to the suspense, LOVE collectors will only have their artwork revealed at the point of minting.

Following the mint and reveal, collectors will be able to order a high-quality physical print of their artwork via Level Frames. Fans will also be able to trade their LOVE NFT on the secondary market, with one per cent of secondary sales to be donated directly to the Giving Block’s Mental Health Impact Fund.

Daniele Sanó, ATP Chief Business Officer: “Web3 is unlocking incredible new opportunities to innovate and bring sport to life for fans. LOVE represents an exciting first step in the space for the ATP Tour. The collection allows fans to own unique artwork generated by our season finale and showcases the richness of data we have in tennis. We’re delighted to break new ground at the intersection of sports and web3 in collaboration with true leaders in the industry.”

Marco Martinasso, Director General, FIT Servizi: “The Nitto ATP Finals prides itself on innovation. This cutting-edge project is yet another reflection of that focus. We’re thrilled that fans will be able to own, cherish and celebrate special moments from Turin through this incredible digital art.”

The LOVE collection goes on sale on Tuesday, 6 December. To learn more about the project, and to purchase your NFT, visit www.art.tennis.