On June 4, 2026, an article titled "Netizens are in an uproar over the latest developments in The New Prince of Tennis" was published on the Chinese portal site Sohu.

The article stated, "Many people who read 'The Prince of Tennis' as children probably felt that Echizen Ryoma was cool, Tezuka Kunimitsu was strong, and Fuji Syusuke was somewhat mysterious. Although unrealistic techniques had already appeared in the work, at the time, we could still somehow convince ourselves that they were an extension of real tennis. However, 'The New Prince of Tennis' has since reminded readers with its subsequent developments that 'this is no longer a tennis manga.' And when the content of the latest chapter was revealed, many netizens were speechless. This is because the biggest secret surrounding the Echizen family was finally revealed.'

It then explained, 'Previously, Echizen Ryoga was known to possess the ability to steal his opponent's tennis skills. However, in the latest chapter, it was revealed that Ryoma also had the same ability. His father, Echizen Nanjirou, learning of this fact, advised Ryoma to quit tennis, saying that this power would eventually harm its wielder. However, Ryoga, who wanted his younger brother to continue enjoying tennis, challenged Ryoma himself. And during the match, he absorbed Ryoma's 'power-stealing ability' itself. Thus, the older brother bore the curse, while the younger brother continued to grow up without knowing anything.'

The article pointed out, 'In fact, many readers had already accepted the supernatural settings of 'The Prince of Tennis.' It had become a work to enjoy without worrying about the details. The problem is that while previous superpowers were at least related to tennis techniques, it has now progressed to the stage where characters steal abilities themselves. Moreover, this is a common trope in shonen manga, but it is also a power-stealing setting that can easily become trite if handled incorrectly.'

On the other hand, it mentioned, 'What was even more surprising than the ability itself was the position of the character Ryoga. Seeing this new setting, many readers probably immediately thought of Itachi Uchiha from 'NARUTO.' Outwardly, he is cruel and mysterious, always taking actions that are incomprehensible to those around him. However, when the truth is revealed, it turns out that everything he did was to protect someone important. The current development of Ryoga can be said to be similar in a sense. The author, Takeshi Konomi, is probably trying to depict a tragic drama where 'the older brother bears everything.''

It then analyzed, 'Ultimately, 'The New Prince of Tennis' has reached a very special stage. Most readers are no longer purely following the story. The reason they look forward to each new chapter is 'because they want to see what new gags will pop up next.' Similar to 'Chuka Ichiban!', even though they know the developments are getting more and more outlandish, they keep reading because they are curious about what will happen next.'

And it concluded, 'For long-time fans, seeing Ryoma, who once fought with effort and talent, now at the center of a story involving family secrets, the curse of abilities, and his brother's self-sacrifice, evokes a deep sense of emotion. The original 'The Prince of Tennis' was a story about boys playing tennis. However, 'The New Prince of Tennis' has become a work where boys with superpowers just happen to be playing tennis. No one can predict how far the story will expand in the future. Given the current trend, even if the author suddenly announced one day that 'tennis was the ultimate power left behind by an ancient civilization,' no reader would be surprised.' (Translation/Editing by Iwata)