“It’s going to be hard to do better, but …”: Félix and Alexis Lebrun are leaving to conquer the world

A team silver medal at the Busan Worlds in February, two bronze medals at the Paris Olympic Games during the summer, two titles (in single and double) at the European Championships in the fall and a place of World number one in doubles to end the season …

After a year 2024 Historic for the Lebrun brothers and more broadly for French table tennis, the time has come to confirm. Alexis, 21, 14th world player and Félix, 18, 5th world player, launch their season this Sunday in Singapore during a “Super Smash”, equivalent to a Grand Chelem tournament in tennis.

“They are looking forward to replaying the international circuit,” says Emmanuel Rachez, manager of the Olympic cell within the Federation. They want to resume the big competitions, to find this international level. “We hope to be competitive right away,” confirms Alexis Lebrun to the France Press agency. (…) And obviously being able to continue to play against the best players in the world to continue our progress and go get great things ”. “It will be hard to do better,” smiles Félix Lebrun, but I still hope that we will get there. »»

“It’s a bit like kidding Djokovic and Federer”

Beaten in a Champions League match with the Nîmes-Montpellier Alliance on January 17, the two brothers will again rub the world elite. But, in the absence of a fan zhendong and my long, two of the greatest players in history who decided to challenge the fact of imposing fines in the event of non-participation on tournaments, the opportunities to shine could be even more numerous in 2025.

And if, for lack of rhythm, the adventure in single were to turn short, Alexis and Félix Lebrun will be able to focus on the double, they who disembark in Asia with the status of best pair in the world. “It is another challenge that is also really close to their hearts,” says the technician. Above all, this first big tournament is only a stage point at the heart of this year “transition after the games”. The French of the ping and their federation notably have the world championships in Doha (Qatar) in May in May.

Félix “really started to grow”

To shine all year round, the French, who kept the same staff made up in particular their coach Nathanaël Molin and their physical trainer Jérémy Surault, “were able to have two good training periods: one at the end of 2024 at Ochsenhausen in Germany then a second at the start of the year in Boulouris, ”explains, redeem, with for everyone, specificities worked. For Félix, who was still continuing its growth, some time ago, it was the physical aspect which was particularly scrutinized.

“He really started to grow,” continues the technician. He is in the age when, in terms of power, he can still progress well but on the short sector (Service, first exchange, discount), it is the strongest so it must not lose this speed. For the eldest, the training sessions revolved around the “short game”. “The idea was to continue to put a little more link in your game, to automate several tactical game patterns to set up behind the service and the discount,” adds Emmanuel Rachez. So much effort and work so that the exceptional of 2024 is trivialized in 2025.