Although he missed the podium that beckoned to him at the WTT Finals in Fukuoka, Félix Lebrun can indeed hope to start 2025 in third place in the world rankings.
Félix Lebrun and Alexis Lebrun struck a big blow during the WTT Finals in Fukuoka. The two brothers indeed won the doubles tournament, taking the opportunity to win first place in the world in the specialty with even a nice mattress since they are nearly 900 points ahead of their first pursuers.
The week, however, was more complicated in singles for Félix Lebrun, seeded number four in Japan and exited as soon as he entered the fray against Benedikt Duda, who had already beaten him at the recent European Championships in Austria. And the double bronze medalist in Paris could have had it all the worse after this defeat as a good result in Japan could have allowed him to reach third place in the world.
Félix Lebrun third in the world to launch the new season
If he was sure to overtake Fan Zhendong, absent in Fukuoka, the Héraultais was overtaken by Tomokazu Harimoto, finalist of the WTT Finals. With 4405 points on the clock, the Japanese nevertheless remains within striking distance of Félix Lebrun, fourth with 4212 points. So much so that the young prodigy should finally recover this third place at the start of 2025 when the points from the 2023 WTT Finals, which were held in Doha last January as a preamble to the season, will be withdrawn.
Tomokazu Harimoto will thus lose 265 points after having already seen the 72 points from the last Mixed Team World Cup withdrawn at the beginning of December. Félix Lebrun should only lose 100 and 25 units respectively by the beginning of January. While the Nippon will have 4068 points, the Frenchman will have 4087… When the season resumes in Qatar for the WTT Star Contenter in Doha, Félix Lebrun will therefore be in third place.
