The Prince of Tennis: From Data-Driven Tennis to the Pinnacle of His Career

At the end of June, the cicadas chirped incessantly, and the midday sun scorched the Yamabuki Tennis Club's regular training court.

At this moment, most of the starting players were training hard, sweating profusely.

However, there was one exception in this bustling scene.

Jin Akutsu had one hand in his pocket, his signature silver-gray hair standing out in the sunlight.

He had finished today's training program, but instead of going home to rest as usual, he paced back and forth on the sidelines like a strict supervisor.

"Hey! You, your squat depth isn't enough! Redo it!"

"Sengoku! Stand up straight! Don't slack off!"

Akutsu Jin imitated Kagura Yi Jin's previous mannerisms, his sharp eyes scanning everyone's movements, and he would reprimand them mercilessly once he found a flaw.

"Akuzu, are you bored out of your mind?"

After finishing a set of push-ups, Kagura Ichijin stood up, dusted off his hands, and looked at the scene with a helpless expression.

He used to be the first to finish training and then supervise everyone, but today, the tables have turned and Akutsu Jin has taken over.

To be honest, if he hadn't been watching closely, he would have suspected that this guy had secretly reduced his training volume.

"Are you done? Then say something."

Akutsu Jin turned around, a mocking smile on his lips, and pointed at Kagura Ichijin.

"You still need one more set of burpees, Kagura, don't you dare slack off!"

This time he finally got his chance. Kagura Ichijin used to exploit him like this, but he never thought he would have a day when he could turn the tables. This feeling is so great.

"..."

Kagura Ichijin shook his head speechlessly, offering no rebuttal.

He quickly and precisely completed the last set of burpees, then picked up a bottle of water from the bench, tilted his head back and gulped down several mouthfuls. The icy liquid slid down his throat, dispelling some of the heat.

"Akuzu, aren't you going to rest?"

Seeing Akutsu Jin still staring intently at the other regulars, Kagura Ichijin asked with some confusion.

"Not tired."

Akutsu Jin shrugged, a relaxed smile on his face.

Today was the first time he had finished training before Kagura Ijin, and this sense of accomplishment made him forget his physical fatigue.

And it's quite amusing to watch others being scolded like grandsons; no wonder Kagura used to do that all the time.

"real?"

Kagura Ichijin raised an eyebrow in surprise.

A while ago, Akutsu Jin was complaining about being tired every day, looking like he was about to die. How come he suddenly seems to be full of energy today?

Keep in mind that Akutsu's training volume is twice that of the regular players; under normal circumstances, he would have been exhausted long ago.

"Um."

Akutsu Jin nodded, his eyes radiating confidence.

Whether it was because his body had adapted to the intensity or because he was too excited, he really didn't feel tired.

"Can you play ball? Come practice with me."

Kagura Ichijin gave Akutsu Jin a deep look, and a guess formed in his mind.

This guy's physical abilities have probably improved, otherwise he couldn't have done it so easily.

"Sure! It's been ages since we played together!"

Akutsu Jin's eyes lit up, and he immediately walked towards where the tennis bag was.

Since the start of the special training, he has been exhausted every day and has no energy left to spar with Kagura Ijin.

Since Kagura Ichijin has come to him of his own accord, he couldn't be happier.

"Come on, follow me."

Kagura Ichijin took out a racket from his bag and led Akutsu Jin toward an empty court in the distance.

"Kagura, how do we fight?"

Upon arriving at the court, Jin Akutsu excitedly asked while flexing his wrists.

He couldn't wait to show Kagura Yiren the results of his special training during this period.

"Just play casually, you serve."

Kagura Ichijin walked to the opposite receiving area, his expression serious.

Both of them had just finished a high-intensity training program and were not in good condition, so there was no need to treat them like they were in an official competition.

Moreover, his initiative to spar this time was more about checking Akutsu Jin's current five-dimensional data; the outcome was secondary.

"Alright! Watch out, I'm about to serve!"

Jin Akutsu stood at the baseline, took a deep breath, tossed the ball high into the air, and then leaped into the air, his arm muscles bulging as he swung his racket with all his might!

"boom!"

With a loud bang, the tennis ball hurtled towards the other side with a terrifying whistling sound.

"15-0!"

"So fast?"

Kagura Ichijin stared in shock at the still-smoking ball mark behind him.

The speed of that ball was definitely over 205 km/h!

"Kagura, get serious!"

Looking at Kagura Ichijin, who was standing still, Akutsu Jin frowned in dissatisfaction.

"Even a friendly sparring match should at least elicit some response, otherwise it's pointless."

"OK."

Kagura Ichijin suppressed his surprise, nodded, his eyes becoming extremely serious as he assumed a defensive stance.

"boom!"

Jin Akutsu jumped to serve again.

While still in the air, he saw Kagura Ichijin had already precisely run to the ball's landing point.

"Bang!"

The moment the racket made contact with the ball, Kagura Ichijin's expression changed slightly; the impact was greater than he had anticipated.

He quickly gripped the racket handle with his left hand as well, and with a burst of strength from both hands, he forcefully pushed the ball back.

"15-15!"

"That's more like it."

Seeing that Kagura Ichijin had received his serve, Akutsu Jin nodded in satisfaction.

He then tossed the ball again, but this time he didn't use a jump serve; instead, he hit a high-speed ball directly.

"Bang!"

……

"Bang!"

……

"Bang!"

……

"Bang!"

The two engaged in a fierce tug-of-war at the baseline.

After a dozen or so rounds, just as Kagura Ijin returned the ball, he saw Akutsu Jin rush to the net at an astonishing speed.

"30-15!"

After scoring with a clean and decisive volley, Akutsu Jin grinned at Kagura Ichijin with a hint of provocation.

"It's definitely different now."

Kagura Ikjin's expression was solemn.

Akutsu Jin has improved a lot in both speed and strength compared to before.

Even a casually thrown high-speed shot can reach speeds of 190 km/h!

"Bang!"

……

"Bang!"

……

"Bang!"

……

"40-15!"

……

"40-30!"

……

"Game, Jin Akutsu, 1-0!"

With his superior physical abilities, Jin Akutsu won the first game.

"Kagura, it seems like you can't do it either."

After successfully holding serve, Akutsu Jin couldn't help but joke.

The pressure from Kagura Ichijin is no longer as suffocating as it was at the beginning; in fact, it gives him the illusion that he can actually defeat Kagura Ichijin now.

"Akuzu, you've really gotten stronger."

Kagura Ichijin looked pleased.

Akutsu Jin now possesses the hard skills to approach the level of a national-level player. If he can further hone his technique and experience, he will be able to truly compete with national-level players.

"That's for sure."

Akutsu Jin confidently raised his chin.

He's endured so much hardship; if he hasn't become stronger, then all his training has been for nothing.

"It's good to be confident, but Akutsu, I'm serving."

Kagura Ijin walked to the service area, took a deep breath, tossed the ball high into the air, bent his legs, and swung his right arm down with all his might!

"Bang!"

The tennis ball vanished from sight in an instant, leaving only a loud bang.

"15-0!"

"No wonder so many people can't return this kind of serve..."

Looking at the tennis ball deeply embedded in the barbed wire behind him, Jin Akutsu's expression turned serious.

The speed of this ball is probably close to 215 km/h!

Even someone with his excellent eyesight could only barely catch a fleeting glimpse of it, let alone catch the ball.