Kanata Irie

Kanata is easily recognized by his fluffy, curly blond hair, large eyes, and distinctive round glasses.

His round glasses often lead to him being compared to Harry Potter.

At first glance, Kanata appears calm, polite, and kind, often being one of the few high schoolers to show kindness to the new middle school participants.

However, his true nature is that of a cunning "black-hearted" individual who is a master of psychological warfare.

He excels at reading his opponent's thoughts and emotions, using this insight to craft precise plays that exploit their weaknesses and lead them to despair.

This ability earned him the catchphrase, "Your good understander."

Despite his deceptive and sometimes cruel on-court tactics, his main motivation is to test the limits of his opponents and foster the growth of his juniors.

He shows genuine happiness when he sees players like Keigo Atobe and Kazuya Tokugawa grow stronger, revealing a deeply caring side for his underclassmen.

When provoked, such as when his acting is called "cheap," he drops his gentle facade entirely, revealing a much harsher and foul-mouthed personality.

Kanata is a student at Maikozaka High School in Kyoto and also attended Maikozaka Middle School.

He was a middle school classmate of Shūji Tanegashima, the current U-17 No. 2 player.

He was originally the U-17 camp's 1st string No. 6 before the middle schoolers arrived.

However, the coaches strategically placed him as the leader of the 3rd court to help raise the overall skill level of the lower courts, similar to how Jūjirō Oni was placed on the 5th court.

Playstyle: All-Rounder

Dominant Hand: Left

Stats: Speed 6, Power 1, Stamina 2, Mental 7, Technique 6

Kanata is a tennis prodigy whose true abilities are immeasurable, even to the camp's coaches.

His greatest weapon is his unparalleled skill in acting and psychological manipulation, which he uses to control the flow of the match.

He can feign weakness to give his opponents a false sense of superiority, only to crush their spirits by revealing his overwhelming true strength.

His tennis is so precise and devoid of openings that even Keigo Atobe's "World of Ice" was completely ineffective against him.

His skill is so legendary that Shūji Tanegashima, a player known as the No. 2 in Japan, actively avoids playing against him.

Kazuya Tokugawa

Kanata feels a special sense of responsibility for Tokugawa. When Tokugawa was a first-year, Kanata and Jūjirō Oni protected him from Hōō Byōdōin. They requested that Tokugawa be allowed to retire before suffering a career-ending injury and later helped him recover and train, for which Tokugawa is deeply grateful.

Keigo Atobe

Kanata sees great potential in Atobe and takes it upon himself to push him to new heights. Their first match was an elaborate act by Kanata to force Atobe to evolve, and he later partnered with him in a doubles match for the same reason. They have a deep rivalry, with Kanata often acting as a high wall for Atobe to overcome.

Jūjirō Oni

Kanata and Oni are allies who share a common goal of nurturing the next generation of players. They worked together to protect and train Kazuya Tokugawa, with both serving as his mentors.

Shūji Tanegashima

They were classmates in middle school. Tanegashima is fully aware of Kanata's terrifying abilities and prefers to avoid facing him in a match.

• Height: 165cm (Previously listed as 178cm in a fanbook)
• Weight: 55kg (Previously listed as 66kg)
• Birthday: December 7th (Sagittarius)
• Blood Type: A
• Vision: 1.0 in both eyes (with glasses)
• Racket: FISCHER MAGNETIC TOUR 100, BRIDGESTONE C-SNIPE 3.0
• Shoes: HEAD ad, apt_1105. t (A0555), K.SWISS SPEEDSTAR TENNIS
• Hobbies: Music (Tenor Saxophone), observing people (analyzing situations and reactions)
• Family: Father, Mother, Older Sister, Younger Sister
• Father's Profession: Hairdresser
• School Committee: Student Council Vice President
• Best Subjects: Modern Japanese, Ethics
• Worst Subject: Tsube language
• Favorite Color: Ecru
• Favorite Foods: Chocolate chip cookies, cream puffs
• Most Wanted Item: Jazz concert tickets
• Dislikes: Perceptive people (who might see through his act), superficially friendly girls
• Special Skills: Carrying four plates at once, playing the tenor saxophone, baking bread

To improve his acting, he watches various DVDs every day. According to the series author, Takeshi Konomi, Kanata is "basically nothing but lies."

He is a talented saxophonist and is sometimes asked to help the school's brass band, though he annoys other camp members by practicing late at night.

U-17 Selection Camp

Kanata is introduced as the leader of the 3rd court. It is revealed that he, like Jūjirō Oni, was placed there by the coaches to boost the camp's overall strength. He is shown to have a history of looking after Kazuya Tokugawa.

Match Against Keigo Atobe

In the 5th court vs. 3rd court team shuffle match, Kanata faced Atobe in the Singles 1 match. He initially let Atobe take a commanding 5-0 lead, making it seem like he was being completely overwhelmed. This was all an act. After revealing his true nature, he won five straight games, and even Atobe's "World of Ice" was useless. The match pushed Atobe to develop his new "Atobe Kingdom" technique, culminating in a nearly 200-point tie-break. The match was declared a no-game when both players were deemed unable to continue. However, Kanata later revealed he still had energy left and only feigned injury to watch over Atobe's growth.

Second String Selection

He was chosen as the 2nd string's No. 3 representative and faced Akiba Kōyō. After Akiba called his performance "cheap acting," Kanata dropped his facade and defeated him instantly, earning the No. 20 badge and further expanding his range of deceptive tactics.

U-17 World Cup

Kanata was selected as No. 12 for the Japanese National Team. In a pre-World Cup exhibition match, he paired with Atobe against Germany's Q.P and Kunimitsu Tezuka. They were defeated soundly, but Kanata once again held back his true power. He was chosen for "Team Plum" during the qualifiers but did not get a chance to play.

Final Member Selection Tournament

Kanata entered the tournament for a spot in the finals, competing in the Singles 3 bracket. He defeated Kazena Kaji with ease and then faced Atobe again. Although he was dominating the match, he couldn't secure the win before time ran out, as all other high school slots for the finals were filled, preventing him from advancing.

• Voice Actor: Hiroki Aiba
• Related Tags: The Prince of Tennis, Harry Potter, Kazuya Tokugawa, Jūjirō Oni