Tennis News, Tips, Tricks & Ideas

With Top Spin 2K25 now exceedingly close to its April 26 launch date, we were able to pry a few tidbits about the long-awaited fifth installment in the tennis franchise from Game Director Remi Ercolani. In our interview, we received confirmation that, unfortunately, online doubles will not be available at launch.

Tennis games have been around for forever. Atari’s table tennis game Pong, for example, dates back all the way to the first video games of all time in the 70s. But we’ve come a long way since then. In fact, we’ve come a long way with the TopSpin franchise, too. Twenty years later, the title (which started out on the first Xbox consoles) is back on the next-gen consoles. And, oh boy, it’s a huge, positive leap forward. Tennis simulation has never felt so real as it does with Hangar 13’s TopSpin 2k25.

The recently released TopSpin 2K25 is a fantastic tennis title, but the game's currently being blasted for its always online requirement. Yep, this is one of those games where you need a connection to the servers before you can actually play it — even if you just want to grind through career mode or enjoy a local match.

[Ed. note: This post goes into detail about Challengers, the arc of Zendaya’s character, and the movie’s sex scenes. Spoilers ahead.]

It sometimes seems surprising that tennis doesn’t inspire more movies. Its one-on-one gladiatorial clashes are inherently dramatic and psychological, while the devious scoring system means no match is ever lost until it’s lost. Nail-biting climaxes and last-minute turnarounds are baked into the design. On the other hand, the fast-moving, seesawing action is technically difficult to frame in a way that’s both exciting and legible — and that same scoring system might drastically confuse anyone who doesn’t follow the sport.

At Polygon, a lot of us are fans of sitting down to a movie with as little upfront information as possible, for the feeling of discovery. But sometimes, it helps to know a few things going in, whether it’s an interesting fact about the movie’s history or just knowing how many end-credits scenes to wait for. Here are four things we think you should know about Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers before watching.

2024 has been a cracking year for tennis fans so far. Reebok brought back its classic Court Victory Pump sneakers, Zendaya got stuck into a saucy bit of mixed doubles on the big screen in Challengers, and now one of the greatest tennis videogame series’ has returned after a 13-year-long hiatus. TopSpin 2K25 delivers an on-court experience that’s every bit as smooth and snappy as it was two console generations ago, and it features licensed superstars and stadiums that now more closely resemble the real thing. It’s a shame, then, that some convoluted career progression systems and the inclusion of virtual currency hold TopSpin 2K25 back from being an outright winner.

It’s been 13 years since PlayStation fans last got their hands on a digital racquet in the TopSpin series. In that time, we’ve jumped two console generations, and the industry has seen a massive shift towards the live service model. Put together, what does that mean for the series’ return in TopSpin 2K25? Good things, apparently, as Hangar 13 has cooked up a fun, flashy, and addictive tennis title that you’ll enjoy coming to grips with and love mastering.

The first video game console I ever owned was an original Xbox that came bundled with two games: NCAA Football 2005 and Top Spin. My appreciation for both Madden and tennis games can be traced back to those being two of my first-ever console gaming experiences.

After a thirteen year hiatus, the TopSpin series is back with TopSpin 2K25, and with the weighty moment-to-moment gameplay still at its core, it’s a tennis game revival that doesn’t disappoint.

It has been a while since we last saw an updated TopSpin game. The last time 2K released a tennis game in their signature style was in 2011 when we all enjoyed Top Spin 4. In the meantime, WWE, NBA, and even LEGO have had their moment in the limelight, while tennis went unappreciated. If you have been sitting around waiting for a 2K tennis game, your time is now. 2K is almost ready to release TopSpin 2K25, and here is everything you need to know about it.

TopSpin 2K25 is about to be served up on PS5, and after playing the game at a hands-on preview, it’s quietly become one of our most anticipated releases of the year. From top tennis talent to this long-dormant franchise getting the 2K treatment, there’s plenty of reason for us to be excited — but what about those behind every swing, serve and set? We managed to speak with Game Director Remi Ercolani to learn about tech advances, post-launch support, and why now is the perfect time for the series to return.

America is on a puritanical streak. Politically, individual states and the federal government keep looking for ways to completely outlaw abortion (and birth control, and health care for trans people, and books), while on social media, there’s been one hand-wringing discussion after another about whether movies should ever have sex scenes. The push to get blockbusters in front of a global audience has come with widely noticeablerestrictions on sexual content — or even basic kissing. In modern studio movies, as R.S. Benedict put it, everyone is beautiful and no one is horny.

Today, Hangar 13 shared a lot of new details on the main modes fans will find in Top Spin 2K25. Everything starts in the Top Spin Academy, where they'll be able to master core gameplay mechanics guided by the voice of John McEnroe. The tennis icon will lead players through Basic Lessons on fundamentals such as positioning, timing and shot selection, followed by Advanced Lessons focused on power serves, lob shots and more, and ending with Playstyle Lessons that show off the strengths and weaknesses of various playstyles players can chose to apply when building their custom MyPLAYER.

This author has long championed TopSpin 4’s realistic take on tennis, and while it’s taken over ten years to get a sequel, we’re ecstatic to see TopSpin 2K25 building on the foundations of its famous predecessor. This gameplay video recaps many of the features we mentioned in our recent preview, but it sprinkles in some footage to add context.

We need to cut 2K Sports, or indeed any tennis game developer, some slack here: lining up a complete list of pros is not easy. That’s because, unlike in other sports, there’s no governing body in tennis overseeing the likenesses of players, so contracts need to be signed on a case-by-case basis. Nevertheless, the full roster of playable pros in TopSpin 2K25 does look extremely light.

2K Games has confirmed the full launch roster for TopSpin 2K25, which will include tennis stars from the 1980’s, 1990’s and the modern era. 25 names have been announced, though these 25 will not be the final tennis players available in the game, with 2K stating there are more to come later on down the line, who will likely be DLC.

Today, during the 2024 BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, Hangar 13 and 2K announced the release date of Top Spin 2K25. The first installment in the tennis simulation game series since 2011's Top Spin 4 will launch on April 26 for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S|X with full cross-play. Pre-orders are also open with four editions available for purchase:

TopSpin 2K25 is going to be launching on April 26th, 2K Games has confirmed. That is unless you buy the Deluxe or Grand Slam editions, which come with three days earlier access.  There has been confirmation of some of the tennis superstars that will be present in the game including Roger Federer, Serena Williams, as well as Carlos Alcaraz, Iga Świątek, and Francis Tiafoe. All in all there will be 24 playable players on TopSpin 2K25 roster.

Watching Netflix’s cosmic philosophy movie Spaceman, the most obvious question is about the plot: Is that giant alien space spider real, or a hallucination? But the second most obvious question might be Why is Adam Sandler starring in this movie? Sandler has taken on a number of increasingly high-profile dramatic roles since he first surprised his fans and dodged his comedy-career typecasting with Paul Thomas Anderson’s Punch-Drunk Love back in 2002. But his roles have always been tinged with comedy, even if it’s dark, wry, or despairing comedy. Spaceman is something new: a grim story that doesn’t crack a smile as it sends Sandler into space as Czech astronaut Jakub, a man whose life, relationship, and maybe psyche are all disintegrating during a long solo journey.

Netflix’s new Adam Sandler movie is unique in the Sandman canon: Despite sending the comedic actor to space for an encounter with an oversized alien spider, most of the potentially corny laughs are swapped for melancholic tears. Like Solaris, The Fountain, and Ad Astra before it, director Johan Renck’s Spaceman is a meditative intragalactic drama orbiting around a heartfelt performance from Sandler. It’s not the first movie with the kind of visual effects that demand an actor’s unbridled imagination, but filming Spaceman was a test that took him outside his comfort zone.

Roland Garros has announced that the 2024 Roland-Garros eSeries by Renault is currently open, with the platform being thee mobile game Tennis Clash. Of the eight quarter final spots, four are for those who qualify through the game, while one is reserved for the reigning champion William “Fozzy” Foster, former tennis champion Gilles Simon, a wildcard entrance to French association Handigamers, and the final slot to the best female player of Tennis Clash. There is €5,000 split between winner and runner up.

There’s an obvious question at the heart of Spaceman, Netflix’s science fiction movie where Adam Sandler’s forlorn astronaut character spends half the story talking to a tennis ball communing with a giant alien spider that he names Hanuš. But even without watching the movie, viewers may wonder: Is Hanuš actually real?

Roland Garros has announced that the 2024 Roland-Garros eSeries by Renault is currently open, with the platform being thee mobile game Tennis Clash. Of the eight quarter final spots, four are for those who qualify through the game, while one is reserved for the reigning champion William “Fozzy” Foster, former tennis champion Gilles Simon, a wildcard entrance to French association Handigamers, and the final slot to the best female player of Tennis Clash. There is €5,000 split between winner and runner up.

After Paul Thomas Anderson’s Punch-Drunk Love, after Noah Baumbach’s The Meyerowitz Stories (New And Selected), after Jason Reitman’s Men, Women & Children and the Safdie brothers’ Uncut Gems, film fans must be used to the idea of Adam Sandler as a comedian willing to step into dramatic roles. But they still haven’t seen him give a performance like the one he delivers in Netflix’s new science fiction movie Spaceman. His character, Czech astronaut Jakub Procházka, is painfully introverted, emotionally repressed, and above all, quiet. Sandler’s dramatic roles have mostly been about energy — sometimes restless, barely contained, often aggressive energy. Jakub is so muted and compressed, he seems like a trauma victim.

A steamy new trailer for Challengers has arrived – and it's game, set, match.

Microsoft will bring four first-party titles to PS5, but it’s refusing to name which. Said titles will not include Starfield and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, which will remain exclusive to Xbox and PC, until circumstances change. Xbox bigwig Phil Spencer, however, has seen the success of Helldivers 2 – and is struggling to see the advantage of the PlayStation-published shooter not being available on Xbox.

Looking for all Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered cheats? Aspyr's compilation of Lara Croft's classic adventures has a handful of cheat codes which can help you skip levels, unlock all weapons, and much more. On this page, we're going to introduce all Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered cheats, and explain how to use them.

Crystal Dynamics is moving on from Lara Croft’s sappy origin story and prepping an all-new entry in the Tomb Raider series which will see the iconic heroine return to her more acrobatic origins. And this appears to be our very first look at the character, courtesy of a wallpaper secretly stashed on an all-new Tomb Raider website.

Rockstar has officially dated GTA 6 for release in 2025, but there was some optimism evidenced by parent company Take-Two’s financials which suggested the title may arrive early next year. However, updated guidance from the organisation suggests that’s no longer the case, as discussed by Wedbush Securities analysts Nick McCay and Michael Pachter.

Top Spin, the beloved tennis video game franchise that has not seen a release in over a decade, is getting a revival. Publisher 2K revealed Tuesday that TopSpin 2K25 will arrive soon, pairing the announcement with a teaser trailer. The development also comes in the heels of the ongoing Australian Open, capitalising on the tennis fever the first Grand Slam of the year brings with it. TopSpin 2K25 will be helmed by Hangar 13, the 2K-owned studio behind the recent Mafia games. 2K have not specified a release date or a window, with the game slated to be “coming soon.” With the 2K25 moniker, however, one can expect a release sometime later this year, as is the norm with other 2K sports game franchises.

2K is bringing back its tennis series Top Spin with a new instalment, TopSpin 2K25.

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2K's tennis series is returning after more than a decade of dormancy with TopSpin 2K25, the company announced today. It did so with a quick teaser trailer revealing that it's «coming soon.» Its announcement coincides with 2024's first Grand Slam tennis tournament, the Australian Open, which began Saturday, January 13. 

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is promising improvements over Yakuza: Like a Dragon in several ways, and specifically where its RPG mechanics are concerned, a lot of that will come down to the many new Jobs that the game will be introducing on top of the ones that will be returning from its predecessor.

Fumihide Aoki, the character designer who brought us the legendary Waluigi, has dropped a bombshell on the gaming world today. Aoki designed Wapeach for 2004's Mario Power Tennis and now, two decades later, he's revealing those designs to the world.

Last week, Wildlife Studios announced new content for the Tennis Clash ITF World Tennis eChampionship. The eChampionhip is part of an ongoing partnership between Wildlife Studios and the International Tennis Federation. The online completion began in October, with the sports game’s second tournament last week. The eChampionship’s final tournament starts on November 16 and ends on November 19.

Pickleball is quickly gaining in popularity across the United States. There’s no denying that playing a sport of any kind can help improve your health, but is trading your tennis racket for a kickball one a better move? Apple decided it wanted to find out.

To all sports and VR enthusiasts, here’s why you’ll enjoy playing Tennis On-Court – coming October 20 to PS VR2 whether you’re a complete beginner or a seasoned player.

It seems like there's no shortage of chemistry in Luca Guadagnino's sizzling tennis drama Challengers (which you can see a sneak peek of above, courtesy of our exclusive image).