Atobe is considered the example of a perfect and complete all rounder as stated by Yamabuki's Sengoku showing Atobe's skills as a player. His tennis abilities are centered around his superior insight, which allows him to perceive his opponent's weaknesses and attack them. Atobe mainly plays a defensive style of tennis with which he forces his opponent in a tennis war of attrition so that Atobe can break down his opponents both physically and mentally towards defeat. According to Hyotei coach Taro Sakaki, Atobe's extremely defensive style is a game that he chose for himself, and that Atobe's natural playing style is described as "ultra-offensive". Atobe has only used his natural playing style in his Nationals Singles 1 match against Echizen Ryoma when Hyotei's place in the Nationals semi-finals against Seigaku was on the line. In the World Cup match against Australia, Atobe, disguised as Niou, demonstrated his ability to play with his left hand, and held his own with his match's doubles partner Fuji against their Australian doubles opponents.
When his statistics are shown along with Irie Kanata's in Chapter 42 of New Prince of Tennis, it is shown that Atobe's statistics show him to be a very balanced, yet powerful, player, with 3 out of 5 in Mentality, 3 in Speed, 3.5 in Power, 4 in Technique, and 5 in Stamina.
Techniques[]
Atobe's Insight Stance
Supposedly gifted with fantastic eyesight, Atobe uses this in Insight, a technique where he can quickly determine his opponent's weaknesses. He places his fingers between his widely opened eyes and laughs with a somewhat insane tone.
World of Ice (Kōri no Sekai, 氷の世界?)
All tennis players possess one if not more blind spots from any given position. Atobe has evolved his Insight to such a level to a point where he is able to clearly discern these spots and is able hit balls with pinpoint accuracy and timing at these blind spots. These blind spots are visually represented by pillars of ice, and when Atobe hits a shot at the blind spot, the opponent is unable to react to the shot.
Atobe placing Irie in Atobe Kingdom.
The human body itself have their own dead angles, which is known as the Zettai Shikaku (lit. Absolute Blind Spots), which are located in the joints that humans are unable to comform to because the skeletal structure can only move in certain ways regardless of one's flexibility or speed. Mastering his Insight even further during his Court Shuffle Match against Irie Kanata, Atobe is able to see through his opponent's skeletal structure and, by extension, see the opponent's Zettai Shikaku, and time his shots during the moments when the Zettai Shikaku acts up, able to hit the ball when the opponent is unable to move at all.
Rondo Towards Destruction (Hametsu e no rondo ,破滅への輪舞曲?)
A high level two-part smash in which the first part loosens the opponent's grip on the racket while the follow-up smash is free to score. The first smash hits the opponent's grip on the racquet and knocks the racquet out of the opponent's hand. As the ball bounces up from the force of impact, Atobe smashes it once again at the court to score the point.
The effect of the Tannhauser Serve.
When performed correctly, the technique does not allow the ball to bounce and makes the ball spin rapidly down the court, thus rendering it almost impossible to return.
Fugue Towards Despair (Shitsui he no Fugue)
An advanced smash that combines the aspects of both Rondo Towards Destruction and the Tannhauser Serve, Atobe first knocks out the opponent's racket with a normal smash, and then he hits a smash version of his Tannhauser Serve, hitting a smash that functions like Ryoma's COOL Drive: the ball is given an irregular spin where it rolls on the ground instead of bouncing, due to the enormous sidespin that was used.
The move is created by Atobe Keigo and is said by Atobe to be another greatly improved version of the Rondo Towards Destruction. However it was countered by Irie Kanata before the move could be shown.
The Jack Knife is a fast, sharp and powerful high-leveled backhand shot made by using the front foot to jump into the air with balance while utilizing the weight of the body to achieve maximum strength.
A powerful shot that first seems to go either left or right and then flies at the opposite side due to holding the racket at a reverse grip and throwing off the opponent's timing.. Atobe can only use this technique when he is holding his racket backwards.
Higuma Otoshi (羆落とし, trans. "Bear Drop")
Atobe using Higuma Otoshi.
In his Nationals match against Ryoma, Atobe demonstrates his ability to use Higuma Otoshi, one of Shūsuke Fuji's Triple Counters. By quickly rotating his body, Atobe uses centrifugal force to absorb the force of any overhead smash; he then returns the ball with a lob that almost always lands on the opponent's baseline.
This is a Doubles-Only technique in which both players become fully synchronized and move as if they were one; breathing as one and knowing exactly what their partner's next move would be. It is said that doubles players could not go to the top of the pros without 'Synchronization'.
Atobe's newest technique. This move caused the lights and glasses to shatter after he already scored.
Anime Only[]
Tango Towards Destruction (Hametsu e no Tango)
In the anime-only match against the American doubles pair Billy Cassidy and Michael Lee, Atobe develops his Rondo to work with his partner, Sanada Genichirō. Instead of completing the two-part smash himself, Atobe feints the second smash and allows Sanada to leap from behind to secure the point.
Atobe using Super Rising
In the episode "Atobe the Beautiful", Atobe demonstates his ability to use Super Rising to counter Ryoma's Drive B. The user returns the ball before it bounces to the highest point. As a result, his opponents have less time to react.
U-17 Stats[]
Speed - 4: He's an All Rounder that is able to correspond to any kind of playstyle. He has the speed to instantly determine what kind of shot is coming at him and return it accordingly.
Power - 4: He has a level of power to be able to easily blast away his opponent's racket
Stamina - 5: Because of his thorough training, he has plenty of room to enjoy having a long drawn out match. He can become quite the nuisance when he challenges opponents to endurance battles.
Mental - 4.5: Regardless of his situation, he will always maintain his unbreakable high and mighty king-like demeanor. Even when he is completely defeated, he has the will to arrogantly face you head on.
Technique - 6: Imagining sophisticated techniques one by one, the skills he possesses are higher than just middle schooler level.
Kurobe Memo: As a King, Atobe reigns. However, it is wonderful that he is not one to simply rest his laurels and rule from a throne. Due to his prodigious pride, he has developed high ambitions to accelerate his growth to the highest levels. I don't have any other small comments. I just wish for him to continue exceeding with his excellent performance.