Félix Lebrun eliminated in singles and doubles at the WTT Europe Smash

The Malmö Grand Smash in Sweden, which runs until August 24, is a unique event. Never before has a table tennis tournament of this level—equivalent to the ATP 500 in men's tennis—been held in Europe. But the emergence on the international scene of Frenchman Félix Lebrun, 18 years old and world ^number 6, who won bronze medals in both the individual and team events at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, has sparked renewed interest in the discipline on the Old Continent.

But the Montpellier player had a more complicated 2025 and his adventure in Scandinavia was cut short. The table tennis player, partnered with Thibault Poret in the absence of his injured older brother Alexis, was eliminated on Wednesday, August 20, in the second round of the doubles tournament by the Chinese pair Lin Shidong - Huang Youzheng, seeded number three, in three short sets: 11-4, 11-3, 11-8. Two days earlier, Félix Lebrun had already lost in his first singles match, beaten to everyone's surprise by the South Korean Jang Woo-jin (world number 25): 11-6, 11-9, 7-11, 10-12, 10-12.

Since the beginning of the year, the Frenchman has alternated between high-level performances and early eliminations: finalist at the WTT Star Contender in Tunis in June, semi-finalist at the Grand Smash in Las Vegas in July, but eliminated in the second round of the Grand Smash in Singapore in February, in the first round of the WTT Champions in Incheon (South Korea) in April, then in the round of 16 at the World Championships in Doha in May and at the WTT Champions in Yokohama (Japan) at the beginning of August.

If the contrast with last year seems striking, it is because the young man is going through a period of physical and technical change: in one year, he has gained 6 centimeters and 9 kilos. His increased power and modified size require a new balance in his game. "This post-Olympic year has been full of ups and downs," he already admitted to Le Monde in May.

"In training, I'm very satisfied with his technical level and his game. But in matches, he has trouble handling doubts," emphasized his coach, Nathanaël Molin, after his premature exit in Malmö in singles. That day, Félix Lebrun showed signs of frustration and irritation, finishing the match in tears. "I'm not looking ahead two or three months, but much further. The ultimate goal is to one day win the biggest competitions. That involves phases like this year. The road is never straight," added his coach on Eurosport.

The Montpellier native, who turns 19 on September 12, still has time ahead of him. Between learning, managing pressure, and maturing in his sport, Félix Lebrun maintains his ambition to one day establish himself among the best. Perhaps it's a step back to take a leap forward?