Most sports management apps on the market are basically just glorified spreadsheets. You tap a few menus, stare at a boring wall of text, and completely lose interest within ten minutes. But the studio behind this game has a ridiculous habit of taking niche ideas and turning them into incredibly addictive loops. Tennis Club Story totally delivers on that front. Whether you are killing time on a train commute in London, waiting for a coffee in Toronto, or chilling on a Sunday afternoon in Sydney, this simulation is going to completely eat up your free time.

BUILDING YOUR TENNIS ACADEMY FROM SCRATCH

You definitely do not start at the top. The game drops you into a tiny, struggling club, and it is entirely on you to scout out local talent and train them up.

Your leadership completely dictates whether your rookie players eventually make it to the big leagues or completely bust out of the circuit. You get to aggressively customize your specific training menus. Want to build a roster of heavy hitting brutes who just smash the ball? Focus entirely on raw power. Prefer nimble athletes who can effortlessly return any serve? Crank up their technique. You are molding these players exactly how you see fit so they can dominate local competitions, build up their fame, and start attracting some seriously snazzy corporate sponsors.

SPONSORS, GEAR, AND LUXURY SPAS

A top tier tennis squad is completely useless if you are still playing on a dirt patch with cheap, broken racquets. You have to manage the brutal business side, too.

Once your players start actually winning matches, you will catch the eye of major sponsors. These corporations do not just hand over big bucks to fund your hard working athletes; they actively hook you up with top notch gear and exclusive items. But here is the massive hook. The best sponsors might literally build you a full blown hot springs spa or a fancy restaurant right on your club grounds! You just sign contracts with a variety of brands and start living the absolute good life while the cash rolls in.

KEEPING THE LOCALS HYPED

You cannot just focus on your elite pros. You have to beef up the overall service for the regular patrons paying to attend your tennis school.

Nobody wants to practice at a boring, lifeless club. To keep motivation incredibly high, you can host massive weekend barbecues, run specialized training camps, and throw other fun community events. It creates this awesome, satisfying loop where happy customers literally come clambering through the gates, padding your bank account so you can afford better coaches and nicer facilities.

THE CHASE FOR THE GRAND SLAM

When it is finally time to hit the competitive courts, things get ridiculously sweaty.

You aren’t just playing simple singles matches. You have to strategize for tricky doubles pairs and massive team competitions. It is entirely up to you to serve up your rivals, sweep the major tournaments, and finally win the coveted Grand Slam to completely stock up your trophy shelf.

A quick heads up on the technical side, though. The game saves all your hard earned progress locally right on your device. That means you cannot seamlessly transfer your save data between different phones, and if you accidentally delete the app, your entire tennis empire is gone forever. Also, if you ever hit a weird glitch where the screen goes dark and freezes, just completely power down your phone and reboot the game. It usually fixes the issue instantly.

Stop playing clunky, boring sports simulators. Grab your racquet, sign your sponsors, and build a tennis empire from the ground up.