Dubai-based entrepreneur is auctioning digitized antique tennis racket collection during the Roland-Garros Tournament

One of the largest private collections of antique tennis rackets and accessories from the late 19th and early 20th centuries will be auctioned to commemorate the iconic tennis tournament, Roland-Garros, which will take place from May 28 to June 11, 2023. Tennis enthusiasts will have a new opportunity to connect with the sport's history thanks to the collection, which will be available for purchase via opensea.io/collection/antiquerackets and includes authentic physical objects and NFT collectibles.During his decade-long passion journey, a private collection of 91 lots was curated by Dubai-based IT entrepreneur and CEO of a Belarussian branch of fintech giant Koronapay Europe, Slava Babienko. An avid tennis player, Babienko collected the objects on auctions worldwide, eventually assembling the largest collection of original antique rackets, tennis balls, tournament cups, and even tennis-themed postage stamps in CIS."In order to showcase the unique history behind each racket and to allow collectors a new opportunity to interact with their purchase in new ways, together with my team we’ve designed high-quality NFT tokens to accompany each original object sold. I believe the enthusiasm for collecting antiquities needs to evolve with technology. Thanks to state-of-the-art technological advancements, we can now appreciate coveted objects in our own private spaces while also creating a high-quality digital footprint, providing a brand new experience,” says Babienko.The collection includes exceedingly rare racket models, some of which have been produced in limited numbers, and only a few exist as collectibles today.1906-1910 Tennis Racket by Brother Tsygankov ManufactureIt was one of the first tennis rackets produced in tsarist Russia and Nicolas II’s preferred racket. Brothers Maxim Tsygankov and Mikhail Tsygankov laid the foundation for their manufacture and opened the first Russian workshop to manufacture domestic rackets. With time, they achieved their goal: locally-produced rackets, especially their flagship model ‘Maxim,’ were not inferior in quality to any foreign-produced racket at the time. Today, only four of these original models are known to exist, three of which are on display in museums.1876 A.G. Spalding & Bros Tennis RacketThe collection’s oldest lot is an iconic 1876 model by the American manufacturer A.G. Spalding & Bros. Still preserving the manufacturer’s mark, even after 147 years, it is one of the first tennis racket models produced by A.G. Spalding & Bros in their history.1950’s Wilson Jack Kramer Autograph MidsizeThis is a limited collector's edition of one of the most iconic Wilson racket models: Jack Kramer Autograph. Only 500 of these were produced, with each racket being specifically numbered. It has been released to honor the 70th anniversary of Jack Kramer's first US Open. Although this looks like the classic Jack Kramer wood racket, it is made of graphite. With its 68 sq in head anddense 18x20 string pattern, this racket is designed to offer maximum control.The bidding starts on May 28 on OpenSea, and the auction will end on June 11, 2023.To learn more about the collection, visit https://antiquerackets.com/