Bengaluru, May 24: This will definitely be music to the ears of the Tennis lovers and gamers around the globe. The game is set to make a return in the world of video games.

Tennis, which hasn't seen a simulation-quality video game since 2012 with Grand Slam Tennis 2, will return to consoles next year with Tennis World Tour, a title featuring top professionals, including Angelique Kerber (pictured) and Roger Federer.

Developer Breakpoint Studio and publisher Big Ben announced the game on Tuesday (May 23). The game is scheduled to release in 2018.

Billed in a news release as a spiritual successor to the acclaimed Top Spin franchise, Tennis World Tour is being developed by a team that worked on Top Spin 4 for 2K Czech and 2K Sports.

Pierre Andre, a Top Spin 4 producer, said that technological advances since that game's launch six years ago mean that "we can create the ultra-realistic simulation that we've always dreamed of."

Kerber, the 2016 U.S. Open champion and currently the WTA's No. 1-ranked player, and Federer, the ATP's No. 5 and 2017 Australian Open champion, were named as playable superstars in Bigben's statement.

Others include France's Gaël Monfils, a U.S. Open semifinalist last year and ATP No. 16, and GarbiÑe Muguruza of Spain, the defending French Open champion and WTA No. 5. The 2017 French Open gets underway on Sunday.

Top Spin had four entries beginning with its Xbox-exclusive debut in 2003. Original developer PAM Development was bought up by 2K Games and closed in 2008, handing development of the series to 2K Czech for 2011's Top Spin 4, the last entry in the series.

That garnered strongly positive reviews and cultivated a loyal multiplayer following, even if its mainstream appeal was more limited than other sports video games.

Games like Football and Basketball already have very much popular video games. The return of Tennis in consoles will definitely be welcomed by the fans.

OneIndia News