The Prince of Tennis II U-17 WORLD CUP: The Final Tryouts begins streaming worldwide on September 30, 2026, picking up immediately after Japan’s historic semifinal win over Germany. Crunchyroll holds global simulcast rights, with the English dub confirmed for a later date. Episode 1, titled “Team Japan: The Next Battle,” introduces an internal selection tournament to decide Japan’s roster for the U-17 World Cup final against Spain.
Quick Answers
- Japanese TV premiere: September 30 at 24:00 JST (effectively October 1 at midnight) on TV Tokyo
- Crunchyroll simulcast: Same time globally, subtitled in multiple languages
- English dub: Confirmed by Crunchyroll, date TBA (likely a two-week delay)
- Episode 1 title: “Team Japan: The Next Battle” (日本代表・次なる戦い)
- Streaming regions: North America, Central America, South America, Europe, Africa, Oceania, Middle East, CIS, and the Indian subcontinent
Exact Streaming Times for Every Major Region
Crunchyroll simulcasts each episode at the same moment worldwide, matching the Japanese broadcast. Because Japan’s late-night slot airs at 24:00 JST on September 30, the effective Japanese air time is October 1 at 12:00 AM. Below are the exact local times for episode 1.
Asia-Pacific
- Japan (JST): October 1, 12:00 AM
- South Korea (KST): October 1, 12:00 AM
- Australia (AEST): October 1, 1:00 AM
- India (IST): September 30, 8:30 PM
Europe
- United Kingdom, Portugal, Ireland (BST/WEST): September 30, 4:00 PM
- Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Netherlands (CEST): September 30, 5:00 PM
- Greece, Finland, Romania, Baltic states (EEST): September 30, 6:00 PM
Americas
- USA (Eastern Time): September 30, 11:00 AM
- USA (Central Time): September 30, 10:00 AM
- USA (Mountain Time): September 30, 9:00 AM
- USA (Pacific Time) / Canada (Vancouver): September 30, 8:00 AM
- Brazil (BRT): September 30, 12:00 PM
- Argentina (ART): September 30, 12:00 PM
Africa and Middle East
- South Africa (SAST): September 30, 5:00 PM
- Ghana, Nigeria (GMT/WAT): September 30, 3:00 PM (Ghana) / 4:00 PM (Nigeria)
- UAE, Saudi Arabia (GST): September 30, 7:00 PM
Where to Watch The Final Tryouts Worldwide
Crunchyroll is the exclusive streaming home for The Prince of Tennis II U-17 WORLD CUP: The Final Tryouts across every major region. A Crunchyroll subscription is required for new episodes, though the platform typically offers a free trial for new users.
Subbed episodes arrive first. Crunchyroll confirmed English dubs are in production, alongside German dubs. The English dub date has not been announced, but Crunchyroll’s standard pattern for sports anime places dubbed episodes roughly two weeks behind the subbed release. No other legal streaming platform has been confirmed for this season.
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What Is The Final Tryouts About
The Final Tryouts adapts the final arc of Takeshi Konomi’s manga, which concluded in August 2026 after 27 years of serialization. The story shifts away from international matches and focuses entirely on internal conflict within Team Japan.
After defeating world No. 1 Germany in the semifinals, Japan advances to the U-17 World Cup final against Spain. But the victory comes at a cost. Byodoin and Oni, Japan’s two strongest players, suffer critical injuries during the Germany match that make their participation in the final nearly impossible.
With only two days until the Spain match, Coach Mifune makes a decisive call: an internal selection tournament. Players compete across five brackets, S1, S2, S3, D1, and D2. Only the winners earn a spot in the final lineup. The arc explores teammate-versus-teammate battles, forcing every player to prove their worth through direct combat rather than reputation.
Anime Overview
The Prince of Tennis franchise began in 1999 in Weekly Shonen Jump and follows Ryoma Echizen, a middle school tennis prodigy at Seishun Academy. The original series ran until 2008, with total manga circulation surpassing 60 million copies. The sequel, The Prince of Tennis II, launched in Jump SQ. in 2009 and moved the story to international competition.
The anime adaptation timeline spans multiple phases:
- The Prince of Tennis (2001–2005): 178 episodes covering the original manga
- The Prince of Tennis II (2012): 13 episodes covering the U-17 training camp arc
- The Prince of Tennis II U-17 World Cup (2022): 13 episodes covering the group stage and early knockout rounds
- The Prince of Tennis II U-17 World Cup Semifinal (2024): 13 episodes covering the semifinal against Germany
- The Final Tryouts (2026): The current season, adapting the manga’s final arc
The series is known for its exaggerated tennis techniques, intense rivalries, and a massive ensemble cast. Each player possesses signature moves that border on superpowers, from Tezuka’s Zone to Ryoma’s Twist Serve. The Final Tryouts continues this tradition while grounding the drama in the emotional weight of teammates fighting for the same dream.
Semifinal Finale Recap: Japan vs Germany
The previous episode, Episode 13 of the Semifinal season, titled “Life-or-Death Tennis,” delivered the conclusion to Japan’s brutal semifinal against Germany. Here is a detailed breakdown of every major character’s progress.
Byodoin vs Volk: The Captain’s Last Stand
Byodoin enters the decisive Singles 1 match already carrying the weight of Japan’s hopes. His opponent, Volk, is Germany’s professional-level captain, widely considered the strongest player in the tournament. The match reaches a tiebreaker, with every point carrying life-or-death stakes.
Byodoin pushes beyond his physical limits, returning shots that should be impossible. His body visibly deteriorates as the match progresses, but he refuses to surrender. In a moment of quiet leadership, he calls Ryoma and Tokugawa to the bench. He entrusts Japan’s future to them before stepping back onto the court for his final rally.
Byodoin ultimately loses the match. Germany takes S1, but the damage to Byodoin’s body is severe. The episode confirms that his injury from this match will make him unavailable for the final against Spain.
Tokugawa and Yukimura: The Sixth Sense Awakening
The doubles match featuring Tokugawa and Yukimura against Volk and Frankensteiner unfolds across earlier episodes but reaches its emotional peak in this arc. Yukimura suffers from yips, losing all five senses mid-match after Frankensteiner’s psychological assault.
Tokugawa fights alone, creating a Black Hole to protect Yukimura while trying to keep Japan alive. Germany builds a 4-1 lead. Yukimura, lost in darkness, recalls how Ryoma once escaped a similar state by finding joy in tennis. Yukimura cannot find that joy, but he refuses to give up the sport entirely. That refusal becomes his breakthrough, allowing him to overcome the yips and return to the match.
Tokugawa’s Premonition and Yukimura’s Yips resonate, triggering the Howling state. The two abilities merge into a new skill called Sixth Sense, letting them read Volk’s shots before they happen. Japan claws back to 3-5.
The comeback stalls. Both Tokugawa and Yukimura drop their rackets attempting to return Volk’s special shots. Their bodies lack the physical capacity to fully use Sixth Sense. Germany closes out the match 6-3, but Japan’s fighting spirit leaves an unmistakable mark on the tournament.
Ryoma Echizen: The Observer’s Resolve
Ryoma does not play in the semifinal finale. He watches from the bench as Byodoin sacrifices his body and Tokugawa fights alone. When Tokugawa’s body fails him, Ryoma shouts from the sideline, telling him not to give up because there is still someone else he needs to beat. That someone is Ryoma himself.
Ryoma’s arc in this episode is about stepping into the role Byodoin entrusted to him. He is no longer just the prodigy with something to prove. He is now a pillar of Japan’s future, and the Final Tryouts arc will test whether he can carry that weight.
Tezuka Kunimitsu: The Opposing Side
Tezuka, Japan’s former captain, plays for Germany in this semifinal. He completed the same brutal training as the Japanese players but chose a different path, joining the world’s strongest team to test his limits. His presence on the German side adds emotional complexity to every match, especially for players like Fuji and Atobe who once looked to him as their captain.
Tezuka’s individual match results are covered in earlier episodes of the Semifinal season, but his overarching arc in this tournament is about confronting his former teammates as rivals. The Final Tryouts arc does not include Tezuka in Japan’s selection tournament, as he remains with Germany through the World Cup.
Kirihara Akaya: The Devil’s Growth
Kirihara faces Germany’s Siegfried in an earlier match of the semifinal. He is determined to overcome Siegfried’s Pinnacle of Perfection with his own Focus Burst. Kirihara’s development across the U-17 World Cup has been about channeling his aggressive “Devil Mode” into controlled, focused tennis. The semifinal tests whether that growth holds under pressure against a world-class opponent.
Duke and Nio: The Illusion Pair
Duke and Nio team up for D2 against Germany’s Schneider and Belti, two of Germany’s three professional players. Nio uses his Illusion ability to mimic Byodoin’s play style, a desperate gamble to match professional-level opponents. The pair’s performance in the semifinal demonstrates Japan’s depth and willingness to use unconventional tactics against overwhelming talent.
Oni: The Fallen Pillar
Oni fights Germany’s Q.P. in the first match of the semifinal. His match sets the tone for Japan’s entire campaign, establishing that Japan can compete with the world’s best. Oni’s injury, sustained during or after this match, removes him from the final lineup and forces Coach Mifune to restructure the team. His absence, alongside Byodoin’s, creates the central crisis that drives the Final Tryouts arc.
The Supporting Cast: Oishi, Eiji, Momoshiro
Earlier in the U-17 World Cup, Momoshiro temporarily leaves the team, creating anxiety that ripples through the squad. Oishi and Eiji, known as the Golden Pair, argue when Eiji makes insensitive remarks about Momoshiro’s departure. The conflict temporarily breaks their partnership, leading to separate doubles matches with Kaido and Ryoma. By the semifinal, the team has reconciled, but the incident highlights the internal tensions that the Final Tryouts arc will amplify.
What to Expect in Episode 1
Episode 1, “Team Japan: The Next Battle,” opens with the immediate aftermath of the Germany match. The episode establishes the injury crisis, Coach Mifune’s decision to hold the selection tournament, and the bracket structure for S1, S2, S3, D1, and D2.
The emotional core of the episode is the tension between teammates who must now become opponents. Every player knows that winning means a chance to face Spain in the World Cup final. Losing means watching from the bench. The episode sets up the first-round matchups and establishes the stakes for each character, particularly Ryoma, who must prove he deserves the trust Byodoin placed in him.
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VvipTimes will continue tracking The Final Tryouts with weekly coverage, streaming time updates, and character breakdowns as the selection tournament unfolds.
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