Appearance in Anime

Sakuno Ryūzaki is a kind, polite, and timid girl who often worries about Ryoma and his teammates. Her admiration for Ryoma inspires her to take up tennis, though her skill level varies between the anime and manga. In the anime, her lack of ability becomes a recurring comedic element, as she struggles to properly hit a tennis ball, while in the manga, she is depicted as a promising player, even ranking third place in the Women’s Division, as noted in Pair Puri.

Sakuno’s timid nature is more pronounced in the anime, where she often experiences ditzy moments and emotional breakdowns, whereas in the manga, she is portrayed as more intuitive, mature, and thoughtful. She is also notably clumsy, struggling with tasks such as handling a kitchen knife or finding her way around due to her poor sense of direction. This often results in her leading Ryoma in the wrong direction during their encounters.

Unlike her best friend, Tomoka Osakada, who prefers flashy and revealing outfits, Sakuno’s clothing style is modest and conservative, reflecting her reserved personality.

In New Prince of Tennis, when Ryoma is forced to leave the U-17 camp after interfering in Tokugawa’s match, Sakuno encounters him, and the two go out on a date that helps cheer him up, marking a significant moment in their relationship.

Sakuno is a beautiful and delicate-looking girl with thigh-length brown hair, which she keeps styled in low twin braids, with bangs hanging on the left side of her face. She has large, expressive brown eyes that reflect her kind and gentle nature. Her small stature and slender build add to her youthful and innocent appearance. Her fashion choices are typically modest and conservative, complementing her reserved and shy personality.

Sakuno Ryūzaki’s background differs between the manga and anime, with the anime giving her a more prominent role compared to the manga. In the anime, she is frequently seen spending time with the Seigaku team, often alongside her best friend Tomoka Osakada, and occasionally helping out during training camps. This gives her more presence in the storyline. However, in the manga, Sakuno has less screen time, as she spends most of her time training with the girls’ tennis club rather than actively interacting with the Seigaku regulars. She is rarely seen cheerleading and at times fades into the background.

One of Sakuno’s most significant moments occurs when Ryoma temporarily loses his memory. Despite her usual timid nature, she actively searches for him and is even willing to re-teach him tennis from scratch to help him recover. However, before she can do so, Ryoma regains his memories and decides to face Seiichi Yukimura in a match.

By the end of the series, Sakuno is shown as a second-year student, still content with her life and continuing to play tennis, signifying her growth and dedication to the sport she initially started because of Ryoma.

Sakuno plays a supporting role in Prince of Tennis, primarily serving as one of Ryoma’s closest friends and admirers. She is often seen watching Seigaku’s matches and occasionally interacts with the team members, especially Tomoka Osakada, her best friend, who is more outspoken about her support for Ryoma.

Throughout the series, Sakuno strives to improve her tennis skills, though her clumsiness and lack of experience make progress slow. Despite this, she remains determined and dedicated, showing that her passion for tennis goes beyond just admiration for Ryoma—it is something she genuinely wants to pursue for herself.

As the story progresses, Sakuno’s character development focuses on her journey to becoming more confident and independent, proving that she is more than just Ryoma’s admirer. While her interactions with Ryoma are subtle and often comedic due to his cluelessness toward romance, she continues to support him from the sidelines, offering encouragement in her own quiet way.

Echizen Ryoma
Sakuno harbors a clear crush on Ryoma in both the anime and manga, yet she has never had the chance to confess her feelings due to her shy nature, a streak of bad luck, and frequent interruptions from meddling individuals most notably Nanjiro Echizen, Takeshi Momoshiro, and occasionally Eiji Kikumaru.

On Ryoma’s side, there are no obvious indications that he reciprocates Sakuno’s romantic feelings. His primary focus is tennis, and due to his early age and personality, he remains oblivious to romance. However, Ryoma has shown kindness toward Sakuno, and their interactions are often misunderstood by his teammates, who frequently tease him and not-so-subtly root for their relationship. Despite this, Ryoma remains clueless about their implications, which leaves Sakuno embarrassed and flustered.

Despite being unaware of Sakuno’s feelings, Ryoma has helped and protected her multiple times. He has rescued her from bullies twice—one instance being accidental and doesn’t seem to mind her tagging along with the team. In the anime, during Seigaku’s training camp, he was the only one able to save Sakuno from a “bear”, which turned out to be a thief in disguise, after all his teammates failed.

Additionally, Ryoma has coached Sakuno and Tomoka in tennis, though this happened because Nanjiro tricked him into it. In Japanese culture, one cannot reject a favor after consuming the offered payment, and since Nanjiro bribed Ryoma with food, he had no choice but to teach them. Throughout their interactions, Ryoma has given Sakuno tennis advice, showing that, while he may not have romantic feelings for her, he still cares about her well-being and improvement in the sport.