Sega has announced that Virtua Tennis 2009 will be released on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC in May.

The game will feature real-world tennis stars such as Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Maria Sharapova and Venus Williams. And, for the first time, British number one and world number three Andy Murray joins the line-up, along with female French Open champ Ana Ivanovic.

The game also boasts the official Davis Cup license for the first time. Also new to the series is improved volleying, serving and net play, along with rejigged online options and “player stumbling”. Also back is the series’ trademark humorous mini-games.

Interestingly, it seems that the PC version of the game is to be download only, with no retail version currently on the cards. And it seems logical to guess that the 2009 sub-header to the game means Sega is intending to make the series and annual fixture in the release schedules.

“The return of Virtua Tennis promises to be a real treat for both fans of the series and sports game fans everywhere,” Sega’s European marketing director Gary Knight stated.

“The tennis season is shaping up to be the most exciting in years, and with new players, courts, an Online Tour and extensive on-court updates – Virtua Tennis 2009 is sure to maintain its spot as the standard by which all tennis games are judged.”