While much of this activity is optional, the game does employ a stamina system that tries to bench you from a continuous string of matches. If you just move from match to match and don’t spend any time working on your character’s development, your player will tire swiftly and you’ll find yourself on the losing end of most encounters. So, the key is to balance the training events with the real matches to emerge as the next phenom.

The various training events will come in handy for neophytes, as the game’s controls and intricacies carry a fairly steep learning curve. In order to succeed, you’ll need to master the timing necessary to pull off the various attacks, including lobs, drop shots, slices, spikes and smash serves. These shots are mapped to different buttons on the controller, with some requiring split-second timing between thumb-stick movement and button presses to effectively pull them off. Given the fast-paced nature of tennis, players need to know when to use these shots to get the upper hand.

Pro Tour devotes a lot of focus to continuous character development, employing an RPG-style design. As you successfully complete the optional training events and play in tournament matches, experience points are doled out that you can use to increase various attributes, allowing you to develop the player in the mode you desire. The experience points are provided no matter the match outcome, although victories provide a greater share. In the early going, players might find the game’s challenge a bit too high, as their players always seem inferior to the opposition, but as the old maxim goes, “Practice makes perfect.” The more you play, the better you’ll get, and soon you’ll have a budding superstar on your hands.

In addition to the Pro Tour mode, single players can find additional Training Challenges on the main menu. For those who shrink at the mention of simulation and stats, there is also an Exhibition mode available that allows players to set up either singles or doubles matches without the character creation and sim elements found in Pro Tour. This is a good mode for local multiplayer, supporting matches for up to four people. Arcade mode offers a similar experience, in the form of single-elimination matches. On the multiplayer front, Smash Court Tennis 3 provides players with the ability to match up with fellow Xbox Live-enabled users in exhibition matches, and features the usual stat tracking and leaderboards.

Now, the big question: will Smash Court Tennis 3 leave you as ecstatic as Hingis or spitting mad like McEnroe?