It has been a whopping 13 years since the last entry in the TopSpin series, and developers Hangar 13 have taken it upon themselves to shock some life back into the headband-clad bones left behind by former studio and Mafia creator 2k Czech – which has since, interestingly enough, actually been merged into Hangar 13. TopSpin 2K25 has finally landed, heralding the possible return of more regular releases for the long-running tennis title, and delivering a pleasantly enjoyable time on the court – even for somebody like me.



Full disclosure here before I go any further: I went into TopSpin 2K25 as a mere casual observer of tennis, and ended up having a lot more fun than I was ever anticipating (while adding a handful of new terms to my vocabulary). So, if you’re concerned about needing to be actively immersed in the world of rackets and bizarre point assignment in order to derive any form of pleasure from this title, let me assure you that that is not the case.



Immediately after loading into the game and being forced to update my 2K account, I was dropped into a demo match where I swiftly and spectacularly failed to claim victory. Although I’m unsure as to whether losing here is a scripted event or not, this crushing defeat certainly served as instant motivation fuel for self-improvement.

I went into TopSpin 2K25 as a mere casual observer of tennis, and ended up having a lot more fun than I was ever anticipating.

Thankfully, the game was then kind enough to point me in the direction of the TopSpin Academy, a multi-tiered series of video tutorials and practice sessions voiced by none other than John McEnroe himself – intended to be the first stop on your road to ball-thwacking greatness. I do think the instructional videos and gameplay segments could have been more evenly spaced out, though, making the information dumps a bit more bearable and allowing the player to immediately put into practice what they’ve just been told instead of having to wait.



Minor gripe aside, as you might expect, there’s a lot more to the gameplay than simply running around like a maniac while mashing a button or two. The core notes you’ll take away from the first couple of lessons is the importance of timing when it comes to your shots, in addition to understanding how to focus on the specific area of the court you want the ball to land in by using the left stick (on PS5). As you approach an incoming ball from your opponent, a togglable bar appearing over your player’s head can be used to correctly land your swing – timing your button press as the indicator passes over the sweet spot results in a “perfect” shot, whereas a premature or late push will display a “too soon” or “too late” message, respectively. The quality of your shot will, of course, have an impact on how the ball behaves and lands.

It'll take quite a bit of practice to consistently hit perfects, control the ball, and juggle the different types of shots available to you within your repertoire. Whether you decide on a control shot (normal button press) or go all in with a power shot (holding down the button to fill the power meter) is entirely situational and dependent on how your opponent behaves. Lobs, Top Spin Shot, Slice Shot, and Flat Shot sub-types are mapped to the face buttons and represent further options for ball control and match dominance – adding another layer of mechanics to keep in the back of your mind while spending as little time in No Man’s Land as possible. It may take a while to get the hang of, but once it all starts clicking together and the gears begin moving with gusto, gameplay begins to feel incredibly satisfying.



I’ve seen a few sentiments online expressing slight disappointment with the variety of available game modes, although I find it hard to imagine what other hypothetical additions would make much sense aside from the already included local and online Exhibition match option (featuring togglable crossplay and can be against players or AI), online World Tour tournament and 2K Tour ranked modes, as well as the expected MyCareer mode – where all your wildest dreams of becoming a globally recognised professional player can be realised and most of the title’s gameplay meat lies.

Minor gripe aside, as you might expect, there’s a lot more to the gameplay than simply running around like a maniac while mashing a button or two.

MyCareer is divided up into in-game months, within which you’re given three choices of activities to take part in: training, special events, and tournament match participation awarding varying amounts of experience and virtual currency for premium item and service purchases like Pro Shop cosmetics, XP boosts, Coach upgrades and reallocating attribute points (more on the last two here in a bit).



Training is exactly what it sounds like, allowing you the opportunity to sharpen your skills before progressing to the next month. Special events are matches that must be completed while adhering to a set of success criteria, and tournament rounds are where your ascent through the global rankings begins in earnest. This goes hand in hand with another set of goals that must be attained if you want to increase your rank and standing.

After acquiring enough experience points through match victories and levelling up your player, you’re able to allocate six points into various attributes that impact everything from your speed to aim quality. Once you’ve hit player level 2, you’ll earn the ability to start utilising various coaches for more VC/XP rewards and stat bonuses, with their own sets of objectives that should be completed to take advantage of these benefits.

Make sure to keep your energy levels in mind, as well. Competing in tournaments on an international scale can be exhausting, and opting to enter a match with a low enough percentage of energy can lead to either a minor injury affecting the efficacy of your attributes, or a major injury that could ultimately see you put out of action for a few months – so make sure to take a well-deserved rest when necessary. Thankfully, as you progress through MyCareer, you’ll eventually have the opportunity to purchase various residences that alleviate travel fatigue.



Regardless of your preferred gameplay mode, using a hand-crafted MyPlayer avatar adds another layer of immersion to the whole affair (this is the only option for MyCareer and the World Tour online tournament). The levels of customisation here are impressively in-depth, with way more physical appearance sliders than I was expecting. Changing your face and body type are serious time-sinks, but the section that truly caught me off-guard the most was the grunt frequency adjustment for practically every mid-match action. Now you too can annoy the crowd and your opponent in equal measure.

The levels of customisation here are impressively in-depth, with way more physical appearance sliders than I was expecting.

Naturally, if you’d prefer to stick with a real-world pro in your exhibition matches, there are 25 to pick from at launch (more are apparently coming sometime later). Pulled from the last four decades of tennis stars, the list includes the likes of Roger Federer, Serena Williams, Pete Sampras, Taylor Fritz, Maria Sharapova, Andre Agassi, and Iga Swiatek.



No Novak Djokovic or Rafael Nadal this time, unfortunately, despite both being playable in Top Spin 4. While a few of the in-game models will appear mostly recognisable, there are several standouts that seem to have received the short end of the stick in the visuals department – a phenomenon that is, unfortunately, nothing new when it comes to 2K sports titles. The 48 usable courts (many of which are unlockable through MyCareer), on the other hand, are all wonderfully realised, and range from New Zealand’s ASB Classic venue to England’s Wimbledon Championships.

Because this is a game with online elements released in the year 2024, of course we also have a form of battle pass. Featuring various premium and free items - like cosmetics for your avatar, virtual currency, and even idle animations (thank God) – the Centre Court Pass can be progressed via daily, weekly, and repeatable challenge completion. Depending on your preferences, this may either end up being a big deal to you, or you won’t end up worrying about it too much in the long run. The game doesn’t egregiously pester you for constant wallet access, either, which is a big plus in my book.



TopSpin 2K25 is a hell of a lot more enjoyable than those peeking in from the outside might realise. With a deceptively layered and precision-oriented series of gameplay systems, lovingly recreated venues, and a selection of game modes that should hold your attention for a good amount of time (with crossplay), both spectators in the stands and court veterans alike can find something to latch onto here and enjoy.

*PS5 Review code provided by 2K Games | Reviewed by Ryan Pretorius