In 2024, French table tennis made headlines within a matter of months thanks to brothers Alexis and Félix Lebrun and a strong supporting player, Simon Gauzy. That breakout year, the Montpellier siblings led Les Bleus to the final of the World Team Championships, where they fell to China, and to a bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games – with Félix, the younger Lebrun (not even 18 years old at the time), also taking third place in the singles event.
Two years have passed – and the status of the French men’s team, who are set to compete in the final stage of the World Team Championships in London from Saturday, May 2 to Sunday, May 10 – has only grown stronger. “It’s the biggest competition of the year,” Félix Lebrun told Le Monde. “Our team is stronger and more balanced than it was two years ago. Everyone has improved individually.”
Behind their leader, who is now 19 years old and ranked fourth in the world, the French squad boasts impressive depth, with four other players among the world’s top 30: Alexis Lebrun (12th), Simon Gauzy (19th), Flavien Coton (23rd) and Thibault Poret (26th). “We push each other, not just with the four above me but also with those behind. There are 10 of us in the Top 100,” said Poret, 21, who recently reached the round of 16 at the World Cup in Macau, China.
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