Mario Tennis Fever: Master the Game with These Tips and Tricks

Mario Tennis Fever is the first Mario sports game to appear on the Nintendo Switch 2 and is a much-needed step in the right direction for the genre.

In our review, I said it suffers from the same problems as its predecessors in terms of depth, but it makes up for it with fantastic gameplay. This is easily one of the best Mario sports games in quite some time, and I'm looking forward to spending more time with it.

I have the feeling that I'm not alone in this regard, as there is plenty of buzz and energy in the air over Mario Tennis Fever.

With everyone diving into the game, it feels like the perfect time to dive into some Mario Tennis Fever tips and tricks to help you improve your game.

Yes, the first tip and trick I’m suggesting has nothing to do with actual gameplay, but instead changing a setting.

Mario Tennis Fever features the Mario Wonder Flower giving running commentary of the game. That’s all fine and dandy with one minor exception: it gets really old, really fast.

You’re going to hear every line the Wonder Flower has within a handful of games, which means it becomes incredibly irritating and detrimental to not just your enjoyment of the game, but your performance as well.

Thankfully, you can turn it off pretty easily. With that out of the way, let's keep moving on.

Find a Character and Racket Combination That Suits Your Playstyle

The biggest strength in Mario Tennis Fever is how well-balanced the game is. With 38 playable characters and 30 rackets to choose from, there's a seemingly infinite number of configurations to choose from.

With that being said, it wouldn't be much of a surprise to see certain characters or rackets emerge as the "best" options. Given that this is a video game releasing in 2026, I'm sure there are people out there still working on Mario Tennis Fever power rankings. Are some rackets and characters better than others? Sure, but from my experience, there isn't necessarily any that feel overpowered.

Here's the thing: at the end of the day, the characters and rackets in Mario Tennis Fever are surprisingly pretty even when it comes to a power ranking, which means that it's far more important to find a combination you play well rather than picking "the best one."

What matters most in Mario Tennis Fever is always making sure you're not only in the correct position on the court, but also able to keep your opponent guessing. Finding a combination that lets you be at your best in this regard is far more important than picking the "OP setup." Speaking of that last point, actually...

Be Unpredictable

One of the biggest keys to success in Mario Tennis Fever is doing what you can to force your opponents to be out of position.

The easiest way to do this is to be unpredictable. When you become predictable, your opponent already knows what's coming their way before you even swing the racket. Do you have a tendency to stick with Slice Shots while playing as a character that specializes in these types of shots? Your opponent will pick up on this quicker than you realize, and, as a result, any advantage you hoped to pick up from this is gone.

Instead, it's crucial to mix things up. Play into a habit of setting up a Drop Shot, which your opponent is probably expecting, only to surprise them with a slice or a Topspin Shot that blows past them.

While it's easy to fall into the trap of "I'm playing a character with a powerful shot and should be able to overpower my opponent," that happens far less than you think. There's a reason why you're seeing Donkey Kong mix it up with some Slice Shots on occasion. Keep your opponent guessing!

Use Fever Shots Early and Often

It seems silly to suggest using a game's marquee feature as a helpful tip, but you should really use Mario Tennis Fever's marquee feature more often than you possibly are.

I understand the human tendency to save your resources for "just the right moment," but you gain Fever Energy at a pretty steady pace. It's best to use it rather than risk maxing out your meter.

Plus, these are the most powerful abilities you'll be able to use in a match. Even if you're pretty aggressive in using them, you'll still be able to utilize them several times over. There's absolutely no benefit to holding them for specific spots; use them or lose them.

Read Your Opponent, Not Just the Ball

It shouldn't come as a surprise that your opponents will be utilizing these tips and tricks against you. What, did you think they'd just keep volleying tennis balls back in your direction? Not so fast, my friend.

The nice thing about Mario Tennis is that there are some simple indicators of what type of shot is being utilized.

• Slice Shots will have a blue tail
• Topspin Shots an orange tail
• Flat Shots a purple tail
• Drop Shots a gray tail.

Instead of reading the ball, you should pay attention to these colors to get a good idea of what type of shot is coming your way. This is crucial to help you get into position faster, letting you be proactive instead of simply reacting.

That's not all you can do, though. Look at your opponent, specifically if they're aiming at a certain direction, or if they're performing a backhand shot.

This is also your key indicator for knowing where the ball will go, and how much power is behind the shot. You need to be as attentive as possible to succeed in Mario Tennis Fever.