After 27 years, one of manga’s most beloved sports series has played its last point. The New Prince of Tennis by Takeshi Konomi ran its final chapter — Chapter 477 — in the September 2026 issue of Jump SQ, which went on sale in Japan on 4 August. The Prince of Tennis franchise that began in 1999 is now complete, closing a story that shaped childhoods across Asia, Singapore included.
From Weekly Jump to Jump SQ: The 27-Year Road to Chapter 477
Takeshi Konomi launched The Prince of Tennis (テニスの王子様) in Weekly Shonen Jump in July 1999, following tennis prodigy Ryoma Echizen as he led Seishun Academy’s middle school team to national glory. The original run stretched to 379 chapters before wrapping in March 2008 — a run that also produced a TV anime (2001–2005), a film, and the long-running Tenimyu musical theatre franchise that is still performing today.
The sequel, The New Prince of Tennis, shifted to the monthly Jump Square in 2009 and escalated the stakes: Ryoma and Japan’s under-17 national team squared off against the world’s best junior players in an increasingly supernatural tournament arc. For Singapore fans who grew up watching the original anime on cable and hunting down Jump SQ imports at Kinokuniya and Comics Connection, the sequel kept the flame alive through two decades of increasingly outrageous tennis.
The final arc delivered the showdown readers had been waiting for: Ryoma versus his older brother Ryoga. Ryoga’s “Consume” ability had stripped Ryoma of his inherited techniques — including his father’s signature Samurai Phantom — but the final chapters saw Ryoma reclaim them one by one, culminating in the series’ core thesis: that real strength comes from believing in your own game. It is a fittingly Prince of Tennis ending.
A Record-Breaking Send-Off — Jump SQ Reprints for the First Time Ever
The scale of demand for the final issue is extraordinary. Jump SQ — a magazine that has been publishing since December 2007 — is printing a reprint of its September 2026 issue for the very first time in the magazine’s 19-year history, with an additional 165% run on top of the initial print. For context: no single issue of Jump SQ in nearly two decades has ever needed a reprint — until now.
The issue also ships with a special bonus CD: 「ラケットに想い出詰め込んで」 (“Packing Memories Into a Racket”), performed by Kou Yamato featuring Tennis Familia — a collective drawn from the 143 voice actors and cast members who have voiced characters across the franchise’s entire run. Think the voices of Seishun Academy, Hyotei, Rikkai, Shitenhouji and every rival school, together one final time on a single track. It is a remarkable parting gift.
Creator Takeshi Konomi shared a brief message after completing the chapter: “Final chapter complete. My schedule has been even more insanely grueling this month, and it is still ongoing, so everyone’s warm support and cheers truly gave me strength. Thank you so much,” as reported by Oricon News.
Final Volume 48 releases on 4 September 2026. Singapore fans can import it via Kinokuniya’s online store or other Japanese import retailers. The series is also available digitally through MangaPlus by Shueisha.
What Comes Next: The Anime Carries On This Fall
The manga era may be over, but the franchise is not. A new anime season — 新テニスの王子様 U-17 WORLD CUP 決勝メンバー決定戦 (The New Prince of Tennis U-17 World Cup Finals Members Selection Match) — is scheduled to premiere in Japan this Fall 2026, adapting the battle for Japan’s roster for the final against Spain. A second teaser PV is already out on the official channel:
For those who missed earlier arcs, the anime adaptations are the easiest entry point — check streaming availability locally, as distribution varies for Singapore viewers.
For an entire generation of Singapore fans who grew up watching Ryoma tell every opponent “Mada mada dane,” this week marks the end of a very long match. Twenty-seven years, 379 + 477 chapters, one kid in a white FILA cap. Game, set, match, Echizen.