Weekly Shonen Jump by Shuisha is the most prestigious Japanese manga magazine, and has seen the birth of some of the most popular IPs of all time, such as Dragon Ball, One Piece, NarutoAnd many other stories that fans will never forget. Many of Shonen Jump's biggest hits are stories filled with mystical powers and unforgettable power-ups, but the magazine is also famous for featuring some of the best game series of all time.
In 1999, Weekly Shonen Jump saw the birth of one of the best tennis manga of all time, Prince of Tennis. Prince of Tennis Ended in 2008, but right after, The New Prince of Tennis debuted in Shuisha's Jump Square in 2009. Unfortunately, the story is now ending at volume 48, and that will mark the end of this popular shonen jump story forever, leaving only the anime for fans to enjoy.
The legendary shonen series 'The New Prince of Tennis' is ending with volume 48
When it comes to game anime and manga series, many think Slam dunk for basketball, Blue lock For football, and Haikyuu!! For volleyball. For tennis in particular, however, no series is as popular as The Prince of Tennis. The Prince of Tennis is a story by Takeshi Konomi, who first started the manga in Weekly Shonen Jump issue #32 on July 6, 1999. The series would become a huge hit a few years later racking up 42 volumes before ending in Weekly Shonen Jump issue #134 on March 0, 034. The series managed to sell 40 million as reported by Shuisha.
With so much to back it up, no one was surprised when the franchise made its grand return a year after it ended with a new sequel – The New Prince of Tennis. The New Prince of Tennis is a direct sequel, and debuted on March 4, 2009 in Jump Square Issue #4. Although the series has changed magazines to run on a monthly schedule, the true origin of the story still goes back to Weekly Shonen Jump. It's not uncommon for writers to switch, as maintaining a weekly schedule is very difficult.
The New Prince of Tennis has been running since 2009. Currently, the story has a total of 47 volumes, but sadly, the author, Takeshi Konomi, himself, has confirmed that the story will soon end with the next edition, The Prince of Tennis Volume 48. This was confirmed on June 29, 2026 through an X post on his account. This post shows a sketch with a tragic revelation.
The Prince of Tennis sequel story will forever establish a great legacy for the series
We are all very sad to hear that a story with such a legacy is coming to an end soon. At this time, we do not know when this new volume will be released. However, based on the pace and release schedule of the previous versions, we can guess the ending around October 2026, with the last manga chapter dropping in the magazine around August 2026, much earlier than that. Currently, it is unclear which chapter the manga will end in, but more information is expected to be revealed by Shueisha soon.
Prince of Tennis Final Volume will mark the end of the manga IP as a whole. After a 27-year run, its overall sales figure is estimated to exceed 60 million, with 89 volumes now out, with one more on the way. The story of the Prince of Tennis is huge in Japan, but not as well known overseas. With the story completely wrapped up, it may be time for fans outside of Japan to give it a shot for both the original series, The Prince of Tennis, as well as its lengthy sequel, The New Prince of Tennis.
The Prince of Tennis story continues through the anime for now
The manga by Takeshi Konomi is officially coming to an end, as confirmed by the author himself. Unless he decides to come back with a new sequel, the series is officially coming to an end. Since the author has devoted a significant part of his life to manga, he probably wants to read it. As such, a return for the Prince of Tennis manga is not on the cards for now. That said, we still have anime to watch at least. The New Prince of Tennis anime is scheduled to return in late 2026, and will cover the U-17 World Cup finalists' semi-final match. We can't wait to learn more about the project in the coming months.
