Virtua Tennis 2009 features several international tennis stars like Roger Federer, Boris Becker or Maria Sharapova against which the player needs to compete against or play with in the heart of the game: The World Tour. The player creates his own character from scratch and plays to reach the number one rank on the world ranking list.
Virtua Tennis 2009 is an action-adventure game that requires only three buttons to perform all possible shots, making it not a hardcore simulation of the sport. To improve skills, players need to invest time in training through practice matches, specific sessions at the Tennis Academy, and 12 different kinds of mini-games.
The mini-games include "Pirate Wars" where the player needs to hit and sink moving pirate ships, and "Shopping Dash" where the player collects items on the tennis floor while avoiding balls thrown at him. Players can also play with/against friends in singles and double matches.
In the World Tour mode, players have limited actions per week, only being able to play in a tournament or do one of the mini-games. The player's stamina level decreases after each match or training session, forcing them to rest periodically. Winning tournaments earns money that can be spent on sports gear and clothes.
Virtua Tennis 2009 was released for the Wii console on June 12th, 2009, and features a unique blend of action and adventure gameplay.