MELBOURNE – Every tennis fan has, at some point, fantasised about creating the perfect player.
A dominant serve. A powerful forehand. A backhand that finds the angles. Movement so sharp it turns defence into attack, and a volley that finishes points at the net.
At the start of the 2026 season, Tennis Fantasy Tour (TFT) arrived to turn that desire into reality.
TFT is the first fantasy sports game for tennis that truly stays faithful to the sport. Instead of recycling team-based formats from other fantasy leagues, TFT allows fans to build their own fantasy player. Users select individual skills from the top 100 male and female professionals in each category. And yes — it’s free to play.
The idea was born from the enthusiasm of newlyweds Toby and Vian Hill, lifelong tennis fans who couldn’t find a fantasy tennis game they actually wanted to play.
“The game has been set up to encourage current tennis fans to follow the tour more closely, whatever their level of engagement,” said Vian, an art director and copywriter, speaking to CLAY.
“We tennis fans are nuts. A three-hour football game would probably end with empty seats, but a tennis match that lasts three hours leaves us wanting more. Tennis fans deserve a proper fantasy game — not a copy-and-paste version of formats from other sports,” she added.
TFT offers a fresh way to engage with the packed tennis calendar. Points are awarded based on match results across the ATP, WTA and Grand Slam tournaments, meaning players aiming to climb the leaderboards must stay informed week by week. Which tournaments are being played? Who’s in form? Who’s competing?
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The game has global leaderboards, that cover either just the Slams specifically or all tournaments across the season.
“Our long-term dream is for the project to become a household name among tennis fans,” said Toby Hill, a sports lawyer.
“Beyond being a great way to engage with the tennis season throughout the year, we are also excited about the possibility of bringing deeper player performance data to TFT down the line.”
Fans can also create private leagues, competing directly against friends, family or colleagues. The days of one-upping each other with random tennis trivia are over — now the proof is in the fantasy points.
With skills available from more than 200 players, the possibilities are nearly endless. There are, however, a few rules: no more than one top-five player, and no more than two from the top ten.
Here are CLAY’s favourites (yes, we bent the rules with two top-five players — allow us the licence):
Mentality: Novak Djokovic
The foundation of his 24 Grand Slam titles, 40 Masters 1000 trophies, Olympic gold and record-breaking weeks at world No. 1 lies above all in his mental strengh.
Djokovic is a complete player with extraordinary flexibility and highly efficient strokes, but it is his ironclad mentality that truly separates him. Time and again, he has dominated opponents and escaped the most extreme pressure situations.
The 2019 Wimbledon final against Roger Federer remains the ultimate example: two match points down, Federer serving, Centre Court overwhelmingly behind the Swiss. Djokovic’s mental toughness prevailed — and the rest is history.
Forehand: Aryna Sabalenka
“Average forehand speed: Sabalenka 129 km/h; Alcaraz 127 km/h; Sinner 125 km/h; Djokovic 122 km/h.”
The statistic published by the US Open during the 2024 edition caused a stir. Sabalenka stronger than the men? Myths and context aside, the reality is that the Belarusian possesses one of the most fearsome forehands in the game.
“Aryna understands that power is her biggest weapon, because on the women’s tour many players struggle to handle that pace,” her coach Anton Dubrov told CLAY. “If an opponent isn’t moving well and starts leaving balls short, it’s perfect for Aryna to load her forehand with her full body weight.”
No doubts here — the most intimidating forehand on the WTA Tour.
Volley: Kateřina Siniaková
One of the greatest doubles players of all time, winner of ten Grand Slam titles and Olympic gold, Siniaková also sits comfortably inside the top 50 in singles.
The Czech player owns an exquisite volley, a cornerstone of her doubles success. At 29, she remains one of the rare modern players capable of excelling in both disciplines, with classic Czech net skills that translate across all surfaces.
Movement: Iva Jovic
Pure talent at just 18 years old. The North American, of Serbian heritage, is widely tipped as one of the WTA Tour’s next decade-defining players.
Her outstanding movement allows her to position herself perfectly, setting up her biggest threat: the ability to change pace and direction with ease.
Her obsession with tennis is summed up in a line she recently told CLAY: “I can’t sleep every time I lose.”
Serve: Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard
When Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard whips his one-handed backhand down the line, he feels like one of the game’s icons: “I feel I’m Wawrinka.”
The young Frenchman is A New Hope for the one-handed backhand romantics — a stroke increasingly rare in the modern game. But for Tennis Fantasy Tour, we’re choosing his serve.
Standing well over two metres tall, Mpetshi Perricard possesses a devastating weapon. At Wimbledon 2025, he set the tournament’s serve speed record at 153 mph. His second serve is very dangerous also, combining pace and heavy spin that consistently troubles opponents.
Return: Daniil Medvedev
Widely regarded as one of the best returners in tennis, particularly on hard courts, Medvedev excels through consistency, depth and his ability to turn defence into attack.
Standing far behind the baseline, he neutralises power and forces rivals into punishing rallies. During an on-court interview with Jim Courier at the 2025 Australian Open, he delivered a masterclass on his unique return strategy.
Backhand: Grigor Dimitrov
Yes — we had to pick a one-hander.
Celebrated for its elegance, control and power, Dimitrov’s backhand is a fan favourite worldwide. Equally effective with topspin or slice, it becomes especially lethal on faster surfaces.
Just ask Jannik Sinner, who felt its impact at Wimbledon 2025 before the former world No. 3 was forced to retire injured.
To learn more, head to Tennis Fantasy Tour (tennisfantasytour.com), check out the How To Play page, and get started.
