Weekly Shonen Jump by Shueisha is the most iconic Japanese manga magazine, and has seen the birth of the most popular IPs of all time, such as Dragon Ball, One Piece, Narutoand many other stories that fans will never forget. While many of Shonen Jump's biggest hits are stories filled with mystical powers and unforgettable power-ups, the magazine is also well known for featuring some of the absolute best sports series of all time.
In 1999, Weekly Shonen Jump saw the birth of the best tennis manga of all time, the tennis prince. The Prince of Tennis ended in 2008, but right after, The New Prince of Tennis debuted in 2009 at Shueisha's Jump Square. Unfortunately, the story now ends with volume 48, and that will mark the end of this popular Shonen Jump story forever, with only the anime left for fans to enjoy.
The legendary Shonen series “The New Prince of Tennis” ends with volume 48
When it comes to sports anime and manga series, many come to mind Slam Dunk for basketball, Blue lock for soccer and Haikyu!! For volleyball. However, specifically for tennis, no series is as popular as The Prince of Tennis. The Prince of Tennis is a story by Takeshi Konomi, who first started this manga in Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #32 on July 6, 1999. The series would become a huge success and continued to be serialized for a few years after, collecting 42 volumes before ending in Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #14, March 3, 00 00 in Japan only, this original series 3.00 in Japan. million sales, as reported by Shueisha.
With so much to back it up, no one was surprised when the franchise would make its big return just a year after its end with a new sequel – The New Prince of Tennis. The New Prince of Tennis is a direct sequel, and made its debut in Jump Square issue #4 on March 4, 2009. While the series switched magazines to run on a monthly schedule, the story's true origins still trace back to Weekly Shonen Jump. It is not uncommon for writers to make this switch, as a weekly schedule is very difficult to maintain.
The New Prince of Tennis has been running since 2009. Right now, the story has a total of 47 volumes, but unfortunately, the author, Takeshi Konomi, himself confirmed that the story will soon end with the next volume, The Prince of Tennis Volume 48. This was confirmed via an X post on June 29, 2026, on his account (@konomi_takeshi). This post shows a sketch with the sad reveal.
The Prince of Tennis sequel will establish a great legacy for the series forever
We are all extremely saddened to hear that a story with such a legacy is coming to an end. At this time, we do not know exactly when this new volume will be released. However, based on the pace and release schedules of previous volumes, we can anticipate the ending to be sometime around October 2026, with the final manga chapter releasing well before that in the magazine around August 2026. At the moment, it is unclear what chapter the manga will end on, but more information is expected to be revealed by Shueisha soon enough.
The Prince of Tennis final volume will mark the end of the manga IP as a whole. After a run of 27 years, its total sales figures are estimated to be over 60 million, with 89 volumes currently out, with one more on the way. The Prince of Tennis story is very big in Japan, but it hasn't been a big hit overseas. As the story ends, it may be time for fans outside of Japan to give it a try, both for the original series, The Prince of Tennis, as well as its longer sequel, The New Prince of Tennis.
The Prince of Tennis Story continues through the anime for now
The manga by Takeshi Konomi is officially ending, as confirmed by the author himself. Unless he decides to return with a new sequel again, the series will officially end. Due to the fact that the author has devoted a significant part of his life to the manga, he probably wants to read. As such, a return for the Prince of Tennis manga is not on the cards at the moment. That said, we still have the anime to look forward to, at least. The New Prince of Tennis anime is scheduled to return in late 2026, covering the U-17 World Cup Finals Members Decisive Match. We can't wait to hear more about the project in the coming months.
