10 Best Tennis Video Games of All Time (Ranked)

Thanks to tennis video games, you can now simulate the real-life tennis experience from a rectangular field to a virtual world. 

Since the advent of video games, most video games were based on tennis sports. Over the years, things have progressed a lot in the gaming areas. 

From the popular tennis games to the newest ones, we have extracted the best tennis video games for you. These would make any tennis fan beam with delight. 

Without any further ado, let’s dive into the list!

10 Best Tennis Video Games of All Time

1. Top Spin 4
2. Super Tennis
3. Pong
4. Virtua Tennis
5. Mario Tennis
6. Wii Tennis
7. Tennis for Two
8. Virtua Tennis 2
9. AO Tennis
10. Grand Slam Tennis 2

1. Top Spin 4

For people looking for a realistic experience, nothing can beat Top Spin 4. It began its journey in 2011 when major consoles were used for playing games. Since then, it has bagged the top position for realistic gaming. 

When playing tennis video games, you will see that Top Spin 4 offers a vast range of players to pick from. You can create a player by yourself or use retired or current women and men on tour. 

What makes it the winner of this list is its fantastic graphics, understanding of why people love tennis, and realistic gameplay. Any newbie would consider it hard to grasp and learn the various shots. 

Yes, the learning curve is often frustrating. Look at the best sports games, and you will realize that this is very common. For hardcore tennis fans, this is a go-to video game, so it is prevalent to date. Pretty stunning for a tennis video game that was released almost one decade ago.

The game-makers are still unsure of whether to release Top Spin 5 or not. Until then, Top Spin 4 gets the spotlight of many.

2. Super Tennis 

Video games were soaring in the early 1990s. As people were indulging themselves in different video games, one game that stole the show was Super Tennis. 

Despite the game not representing any top player’s official names, there was a minimum of 20 players in the game. 

One excellent feature of this game was that it allowed playing against a computer bot or a human opponent. For the first time, this game introduced perfect graphics and was relatively fast-paced for a tennis video game. 

Considering today’s games, Super Tennis will surely not hold up well. It, however, is a nostalgic game that people love playing.

3. Pong

When it first came to the scene in the year 1972, people were awestruck by its simplicity. Back in that time, it was the first game that could be played at old computers sitting at home or in an arcade. 

Its simulation of tennis is considered to be a little less authentic as some basic differences exist. You need to keep in mind that Pong is an easy game that rallies the ball back and forth. It features a court from which the ball rebounds off the edges. 

Pong gained popularity when the game leaped to low-budget TV devices from the arcades. It is still a hit because of its differing deflection angles and intuitive nature.

One interesting fact is that the longer your rally continues, the speeder the ball gets. For better understanding, imagine it as a blend of air hockey and tennis. 

Hitherto, this game is likable and played by many. It is living proof that even the most basic games can prove to become highly challenging. 

4. Virtua Tennis

We know how hard it is to maintain the difficult balance between an arcade and real tennis. This is why the next game on our list is Virtua Tennis. It makes your gameplay somewhat arcade-ish and presents the most authentic-looking courts and players ever! 

This move drew in not only tennis players but also other casual players who were looking for something easy to play. Without knowing every shot in tennis, you can play quick matches in this game. Very arcade-like experience!

Another cool thing about his game is that it has integrated some big names in the video games. Of course, the producers spent huge bucks on it.

Players that have their names on this game include Tim Henman and Patrick Rafter from the men’s list, and Lindsay Davenport, Serena Williams, Monica Seles, and Venus Williams from the women’s list. 

Grab the game to gain real-life experience virtually. It can be played on any PlayStation starting from PlayStation 2. 

5. Mario Tennis

For people who consider Virtua Tennis to be on the arcade side, fret not! We have another game that takes it to the next level. Mario Tennis gives a spectacular experience when you play with friends on Nintendo.

We have seen players getting introduced to the world of tennis with this game. When you are with your squad of friends, switch on this game, and challenge each other. Even if this game does not exactly represent how tennis is played, it brings the fun element while you are with friends. 

To ace this game, you will find multiple tricks and power-ups. Try learning them to get the upper hand in the game.

Think of it as a normal game related to tennis, and get ready to rock!

6. Wii Tennis

Its technology can blow your mind away Although it might not be the best, its controls are just one of a kind. 

Fairly simple, this game’s graphics need updating. People would try playing the game on their Nintendo – both singles or doubles. Its controller makes you feel like you are holding a tennis racket in your hand. 

Overall, this game is a pretty solid one to try out if you want to practice your tennis skills. 

7. Tennis for Two

Next up is the game Tennis for Two. It deserves recognition for being the first-ever tennis-based video game made. Readers, you probably thought Pong had been the first-ever tennis video game, but it’s not! 

By getting released 2 years before Pong, Tennis for Two beat it to the punch. If it were not for games like these, tennis might not even exist as a part of video games. 

While Pong slightly resembles Tennis, Tennis for Two gives the tennis court’s side view while playing. Even though the screen was merely 5 inches long, it did not stop the thrill of playing the video game. Its appeal to the target audience was endless. 

8. Virtua Tennis 2

Sega did ramp up the arcade effect of tennis by introducing Virtua. As soon as Virtua Tennis 2 entered the market, it took the tennis video games by storm. 

One crucial part of tennis – the slicing stroke – was integrated to take the game to the next level. It made ground-breaking attainment. The new controls would enable you to chop. Still, we would not say the gameplay was easy. From the off, the gameplay was significantly more challenging. 

For anyone who loves to spend plenty of time with a merely less zombie-like group of players, this game is worth it. Its World Tour mode is just what you need. 

Initially, Virtua Tennis 2 was released on platforms like the Sega Dreamcast and PlayStation 2. Because of games like these, Sega Dreamcast was deemed as a console that went way ahead of its time. 

9. AO Tennis

Video gamers sometimes feel the lack of tennis games on their gaming consoles. AOT has been trying to change this. This game might not be the perfect one, but it is a must-try for our generation. 

It allows much customization. You can form pros and even download the venues used by other community players. 

So, create your player and take them on tour through the entire tournament. Play a tennis match against the leading names in the Tennis world and grab a trophy for yourself. 

Unlock all the characters to experience greater difficulty levels. This game tests your skills. 

The controls of this game are intuitive and simple. All you need is to swipe in your preferred direction to strike the shot. The better your timing is, the faster, harder, and more deft or precise your shot will be. 

10. Grand Slam Tennis 2

Last but not least, we have Grand Slam Tennis 2. This game allows you to feel the actual excitement of the tennis championship. It is available in both PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

This tennis simulation offers all 4 Grand Slam Tennis tournaments – French Open, Australian Open, US Open, and Wimbledon in HD on the Next-Gen consoles. 

It boasts more than twenty great tennis players, including Roger Federer, Maria Sharapova, Serena Williams, and Novak Djokovic. 

Not to mention its fantastic total racket control. You can now control each shot with the analog stick with power and accuracy. Take your tennis game to the top now!

Final Words

So, this is a wrap for the best tennis video games. During this ongoing pandemic, you cannot let your tennis skills rust. The best you can do online is resort to these video games to keep the skill from degrading.