Does TopSpin 2K25 have a roster problem?
Hamzah Amir Ahmed
Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal at the 2022 French Open
It’s been 13 years since the TopSpin 4 was released and now with about a month to go until the game makes its long-awaited return, 2K recently announced its full roster and there are some very glaring omissions. Superstar and tennis legend Novak Djokovic is not included in the upcoming game’s roster.
One of tennis’ biggest draws not being included in the game hasn’t been received well by the fanbase. His absence from the game may look surprising, however the Serb has previously stated his feelings towards video games. “I don’t believe in the product; this isn’t a good use of my time.” According to tennis analyst Jon Wertheim, the 24 grand slam winner “actively repudiates” games.
As for Nadal, while his name hasn’t appeared on the full roster there have been reports to suggest that he may still feature. However, fans shouldn’t get their hopes up as in the past the Spaniard has been heavily advertised for the AO Tennis franchise.
This may suggest that Nadal could have a licensing deal with developer Big Ant Studios which may be the reason why he may end up being absent from 2K25. The current men’s roster is very small. Excluding the Legends roster, there are only seven players from the ATP.
This could pose a problem for the game’s future. Having a small pool of male players will result in many online matches being played out in the same fashion and becoming repetitive. Gamers will quickly learn the playstyles which may lead to boredom and could shorten the game’s lifespan.
The current size of the playable players could suggest that more may follow in the form of DLCs. This is good and bad. Good because it tells the fanbase that more content will be added to the game, but the bad part is it will force players to invest money into the game.
The return of TopSpin is an exciting time for all tennis fans. While the playable characters are a problem, fans should expect the game to be as fluid as its predecessors.
The franchise is well-known for its incredible gameplay and realism. As far as realistic tennis simulators go, TopSpin has always been second to none.