By dint of seeing him fall backwards, we ended up getting used to. For the past two years, France has discovered a young energetic with an unorthodox socket, a young kid who overthrew everything in his path to finish with the medal around his neck. In 2024, the country endowed with Félix Lebrun, phenomenon of world ping, double bronze medalist at the Olympic Games and 4th best player in the world.
Except that in 2025, the storm calmed a little. Of course, his title at the French championships recalled what wood he was made in a new breathtaking final against his brother, Alexis. But, overall, Félix fell on Earth (and 6th in the world) testify to his defeat in the first round at the WTT Champions of Incheon then his premature road release during the World Cup, from the preliminary phase at the start of the week.
Félix Lebrun
Credit: Getty Images
We have the impression that it is difficult but all the players of the world pass by there
In January, at the Grand Smash in Singapore, he had not gone further than the 2nd round leaving honors and laurels to his big brother. But then, should you worry about Félix? Does it find it difficult to digest everything that has happened to him for a year? Or did his opponents find parades?
“Do not get used to it, it is a normal processtold us his father, Stéphane, former French number 7. He built a physique and another game system because at 18, it is impossible to continue on the same system. What you need to know is that between 17 and 20 years old, we take muscle, size, weight. All this implies that we are less well on the table and therefore it requires a change of play on the technique. One has the impression that it is difficult but all the players of the world pass by there.“
Félix Lebrun stopped by Lee: the four key points of the match
Video credit: Eurosport
What you need to understand is that table tennis is a precision and detail sport, a mm When the body changes, it’s a whole strategy, a whole game plan that can come to grow. This is why Félix has been undergoing adjustment problems for a few weeks and commits a little more mistakes than last season. “”Even if he is told not to train and leave him at rest, he will get fat. Physiological evolution poses problems in our sportcontinue Stéphane Lebrun. For example, if you take more thighs, you have to go away from the table more. Alexis has been there and everyone was asking questions. But it is a must.“
Its ups will be higher
Tomokazu Harimoto or Truls Moregard, also very strong during their adolescence, experienced a hollow comparable to that which Félix Lebrun could cross. “”It will last a year or two but that does not mean that he will not win anythingcontinues his father. It will be a bit more irregular in terms of level of play but its tops will be higher because it will gain power when everything will align. He gave us the best example in the quarter -finals in Chongqing in March. Despite the defeat against Liang Jingkun, he undoubtedly, that day, signed the best match of his career. And his victory in the France final against Alexis also enters his top 5. So he is able to play better than last year.“
Stronger but less regular, this is what the future in the short and medium term could look like Félix Lebrun until it stabilizes. For this outstanding competitor, the great difficulty is to accept to go through less packaging and more muddled phases. So far, in 2025, he has provided the essentials. “”He checked what he wanted with the title of champion of France. It is a title that remains and he had noted this objectivecontinue Stéphane Lebrun. The next big song is the Worlds. “They will take place in Qatar at the end of May. It remains to be seen which version of Félix will go there.
