SEGA announces Virtua Tennis 2009

By Ellie Gibson Published 5 February, 2009

Coming to PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 in May.

SEGA has confirmed another instalment in the Virtua Tennis series is coming to PC, PS3 and Xbox 360.

Virtua Tennis 2009 will feature real-life ballsmashers like Rafael Nadal, Maria Sharapova, Venus Williams and Roger Federererer. New players for this year include Andy "Come on Tim" Murray and ladies French Open champion Ana Ivanovic.

Volleying, serving and net play have been improved, and there's now "player stumbling" to "add a new dimension to matches". Along with traditional singles, doubles and mixed doubles matches, the game will feature the official Davis Cup.

The World Tour Mode has been spruced up, and now includes a fully integrated online ranking system. There are more Player Creation options than ever and a new-look Tennis Store with more than 800 items to choose from.

There will be brand new Court Games to play, and we're told to "look out for crocodiles, fruit and pirates". Wise advice generally, of course.

Virtua Tennis 2009 is out this May, according to the press release. Which was written by someone who should be given a payrise for managing not to use any phrases like "smash hit" or "new balls please" in the entire thing.

Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

You may also like...

Comments (28) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • The-Bodybuilder #1 3 years ago

    News so fast it's not even up yet.
    I like your urgency, eurogamer.

  • myiagros #2 3 years ago

    the headline tells the whole story i suppose.

  • madgerald Verified Studio Head of PR & Marketing, Colossal Games LTD #3 3 years ago

    http://www.virtuaten nis2009.com - has the info :)

  • jonsaan #4 3 years ago

    Please sort the tour mode out. It takes far too long playing through completely unchallenging matches with a rookie who can't get any shot angle to be fun at the moment.

  • kinky_mong #5 3 years ago

    Will this "player stumbling" be like tripping in Smash Bros Brawl, i.e. incredibly annoying and always happening at the worst possible time?

  • CrunchinJelly #6 3 years ago

    Please don't change the gameplay too much!!!

  • varsas #7 3 years ago

    No Wii version?

  • CunningLinguist #8 3 years ago

    Awesome! This is just awesome. Did I mention how awesome this is?

  • FeralUK #9 3 years ago

    "No Wii version"

    Who still uses a Wii? apart from the non-gamers of the family.

  • Tomo #10 3 years ago

    Please, please, PLEASE make the serving important to the game itself.

    Virtua Tennis is a fantastic series, but the serving makes little to no difference.

  • LeSpank #11 3 years ago

    Ahhhh, I'm still playing Virtua Tennis 3 such is its greatness.

    The series has gradually been improving since the DC days so I have faith in this one, whatever features they put in.

    I hope the online matches are more closely linked with the leaderboards this time, i.e. being able to see the rank of you/your opponent before you play and see how it changes depending on the result.

    Also, when this comes out I hereby want a penny for every moron that cries "the players dive all over the place I can't stop it happening".

    P.S. I presume Sega-AM3 (or Hitmaker or whatever they're called now) is developing this??????????
    Edited by 1 at 05/02/09 @ 17:50

  • OnlyMe #12 3 years ago

    So, what about Virtua Racing?

  • Ryze #13 3 years ago

    Milking? Anyway - I have no problem as this is a great game and deserves all of the Wimbledon sales it gets.

    Impress us, Sumo!

  • jamiscool #14 3 years ago

    Not only serving needs to be more effective, but so do lobs and drop shots. In fact, I think it's time they made some changes as it's been exactly the same for the past 10 years.

  • Malek86 #15 3 years ago

    Will Nadal be absent from the 360 version?

    Anyway, I'll see where this is going.

  • youhavenomail #16 3 years ago

    It feels like the right time for Sega to mess this franchise up. It's been too good for too long, it must be time for them to start fiddling.

  • Markusdragon #17 3 years ago

    Come on Tim!

    EDIT. Er, Come on, comma, Tim, even. Come on Tim sounds like a gay porn director's instruction to a castmember....
    Edited by 1 at 05/02/09 @ 20:40

  • kwesleyb #18 3 years ago

    You can only tweak a tennis game for so long though right?

  • RobotRocker #19 3 years ago

    So, is Sumo doing it or AM2 or is it like VT3 where its Xbox/Sumo and AM2/PS3?

    *lights up the s0l signal*

  • R.P_McMurphy #20 3 years ago

    Only thing missing from the last one was online. Can't wait.

  • Darren #21 3 years ago

    @R.P_McMurphy - Online gameplay was only missing from VT3 if you'd bought the "wrong" console. ;)

  • Zomoniac #22 3 years ago

    Acebest. As long as the stumbling doesn't break it. And they take out the last doubles match against Duke and King which is physically impossible.

  • figaro7 #23 3 years ago

    Stumbling.... no thanks. I agree about the lob, absolutely pointless in VT3. Actually played 3 recently due to the australian open and it still pains me as to why federer was so poor in VT3. Id like to see Tsonga added, the game needs more characters with flair and when are we going to see some classic players like sampras and agassi?
    Edited by 1 at 05/02/09 @ 23:16

  • Zash #24 3 years ago

    @RobotRocker

    We've been working with AM3, but a Sumo production on all platforms. We have a very close relationship with AM3 :)

    T.

  • SliderNL #25 3 years ago

    Loved Virtua Tennis and it's sequel but the third game was diving tennis. You had to make points 10 times and even then your opponenent could dive and return the ball. I hope this is fixed in 2009.

  • Rodafowa #26 3 years ago

    Be nice if lobs and drop shots worked. Be really, really nice if they got rid of the terrifying cutscenes where you got to see the otber players up close.

    The cold, dead eyes of Zombie Henman. Brrrrrrrrr.

  • layleeloo #27 3 years ago

    Virtua Tennis was a great game. I had it on 360 and re bought it when I got my PS3. The fact the PS3 had no online I LOVED! Im sick to death of people focusing on online modes when its more fun playing tennis games with people in your house.

    VT3 surely wasnt without faults. All the diving being one. Some will say "you're just not itming it right" etc but theres a happy medium. I preferred it to Top Spin 3 but its like Evo V Fifa really - one arcadey and the other a sim.

    Personlly I can wait for this. Im going to try and not play VT3 now so im more hungry when its released! Hope all the niggles are fixed this time around.

  • redgiemental #28 3 years ago

    I liked the fact that it was arcadey and hope it retains its arcadiness. It was originally an arcade title after all. Why is it that being arcadey seems to be a negative these days? There is no lack of sim games these days and I find less and less arcade style multiplayer games to play.