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Swiss Tennis Legend Stan Wawrinka in Soup? Concerning Details Emerge From His Prestigious NFT Project

Published 04/29/2024, 11:16 AM EDT

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Swiss tennis star, Stan Wawrinka launched a virtual game named Ballman Project in 2021. It is a collection of unique and upgradeable NFTs inspired by the tennis star. This game will give the users a chance to play in a series of virtual tennis tournaments with prize money called Ballman Tour. “I’m happy to announce the Ballman Project. Are you ready?” Stan Wawrinka wrote this in its promotional video on Instagram. The Project got a good response initially but as per the latest reports, there is no more money in the game.

Many small investors have reportedly lost almost everything in this. According to an investigation by Mise au Point, at least 6 denunciations have been filed so far with a French association, which is now considering a collective criminal complaint.

The game is intriguing and the Ballman Tour was set up completely in the model of the ATP Tour in Web 3. It features various categories of tournaments from NFT OS50 to NFT OS1000, including Grand Slam tournaments. The concept of this game is basically, that the higher the ranking, the higher the winnings. But forget about winnings, 2600 small investors are now wondering about all the investments they have made over the years in this.

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The project’s NFTs have supposedly lost a lot of value since the launch. One of the Valais players from the Ballman Project said, “I bought my Ballman for 318 francs when it came out. Today, it is worth 12 francs.” Stan Wawrinka and his French associate Prosper Masquelier-Partouch convinced thousands of small investors to buy virtual players based on NFT technology: the “Ballmans”.

However, as per severe reports, the Ballman Project seems to be at a standstill in the last few weeks. More surprisingly, according to the reports, the founders no longer communicated any information on the games’s main forum. This comes as great dismay for the gaming community.

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A user who had once invested 4000 euros in this game stated, “I am very disappointed by the personality of a three-time Grand Slam winner. I have the impression that Stan Wawrinka fooled everyone.” Stan Wawrinka’s global image is under threat by these allegations. But what does the tennis star have to say on this issue?

“We cannot call it a scam” – Stan Wawrinka 

During a discussion on this topic, Stan Wawrinka explained his version of facts. He stated, “I financed the creation of the first version of the game and the marketing of the first Mint. I was reimbursed for my advances. And I was subsequently paid for my image and my time spent on the project.” But is this justification enough to keep him away from all these controversies? 

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Wawrinka says, “Buyers are disappointed, I understand. But we cannot call it a scam. Since, unlike many truly scandalous projects, we delivered the NFTs and the game promised.

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Stan Wawrinka’s poor form on the court in the last few years has been a major concern for him. But now these off-the-court happenings have brought some dark clouds looming in over his head. Can the tennis legend smash all the allegations and prove his innocence in this issue? 

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Written by:

Sayantan Roy

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Sayantan Roy is a Tennis Writer at EssentiallySports, who crafts tennis tales that not only capture the game's essence but also reflect his creative genius. As a believer in unbiased journalism, Sayantan, a fan of both Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, loves to fuse the world of such tennis rivals and present balanced copies as fan reaction pieces. Engaged in sports since college, he brings that passion to life.
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Edited by:

Arunima Bhanot