(ang. + slo. prevod)

Felix Lebrun

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Basic information
• Name: Félix Lebrun
• Born: September 12, 2006 in Montpellier, France.
• Height: Approximately 1.80 m.
• Nationality: French
• Discipline: Table tennis (men’s singles and doubles)
• Highest world ranking (singles): 4th place (November 12, 2024)
• Current ranking (October 2025): 5th place in singles.

Early life
Félix Lebrun grew up in an environment where table tennis was already strongly present — both through his family lineage and through his personal path:
• His older brother Alexis Lebrun is also a top table tennis player; his father Stéphane Lebrun was highly ranked in France, and his uncle Christophe Legoût had experience playing for the French national team.
• He started playing table tennis at an early age — at the age of three.
• It is particularly interesting that Lebrun started using the “pen-hold” grip very early on (around 4 years old) – a rarity among European players. He found inspiration in the Chinese player Chen Jian, who trained in Montpellier and Istres.
• During his development, he specialized in techniques where he devotes a lot of work to the serve and various rotations, which sets him apart from many of his peers.

Technique and playing style
Félix Lebrun stands out for his combination of technical characteristics and playing style:
• Grip: Holds the racket like a “pen-hold” (a grip in which the player holds the racket like a pen) – this grip is rarer in the modern table tennis elite, especially among European players.
• Playing style: An offensive player, very good at serving and in the initial part of the point. His serves and quickly won points represent an important part of his game.
• Variety of serves: It is stated that he can score between 30% and 40% of his points from his serve or forehand, thanks to a large number of variations (one report mentioned “over a hundred” serves).
• Development of technique: While he also had a heel injury, he used it to practice his serves and a variety of forehands.
• Tandem with brother: He plays doubles with his brother Alexis. They have already reached the top of the world in doubles as a tandem. Their chemistry and correlation are an additional technical plus.

Most important rankings and achievements (until October 2025)
Year 2023
• Gold at the 2023 European Games (men’s singles, defeating Marcos Freitas in the final). Achieved entry into the Top 10 of the world rankings (ITTF) in October 2023 – becoming one of the youngest to achieve this.
2024
• Won the bronze medal in the men’s singles at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Bronze medal in the team competition for France.
• Became the first Frenchman to win the WTT Champions Montpellier tournament in Montpellier.
• In doubles with his brother Alexis, he reached the number one spot in the world in doubles.
2025
• In March 2025, he won his first French national title in the men’s singles, defeating his brother Alexis in the final.
• In October 2025, he reached the first final of the Grand Smash tournament – he became the first Frenchman to achieve this. In doubles with his brother Alexis, he is consistently ranked high – they were at the top of the world doubles rankings.

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Major tournaments
Olympic Games (Paris 2024)
• Bronze medal – men’s singles
• Bronze medal – team (France)
He was one of the youngest medalists in table tennis at the Olympics.
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World Championships
Until October 2025, Félix does not have an individual medal from the World Table Tennis Championships.
In the team section, he plays as part of the French national team, and France has not won a medal at the World Championships during this period.
• World Championships 2023 Durban (individuals): reached the round of 16
• World Championships Team Busan 2024 (teams): France reached the quarter-finals
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Racket and equipment
Félix Lebrun is one of the few top European players with a penhold grip.
Grip: “Chinese Penhold” (pencil grip)
Racket: Tibhar (official sponsor)
Probable and most commonly confirmed configuration (2024–2025):

Part of the equipment Model
Tibhar Shang Kun Hybrid AC or specially modified Lebrun Custom Penhold
Forehand rubber Tibhar Hybrid K3 (high rotation + hard rubber tip)
Rearhand rubber Tibhar K.O. Pro (antispin / interference – allows for a “break” in the rhythm of the game)
The most recognizable feature of his game is that he creates “non-linear” effects with his backhand, which make it difficult to read the rotation – this is one of the keys to his success.

Record sources: Wikipedia & Google

(collected and written by: fv)

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Felix Lebrun

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Osnovne informacije

  • Ime: Félix Lebrun
  • Rojen: 12. septembra 2006 v Montpellieru, Francija.
  • Višina: približno 1,80 m.
  • Nacionalnost: francoska
  • Disciplina: namizni tenis (moški posamezno in dvojice)
  • Najvišja uvrstitev v svetu (singl): 4. mesto (12. novembra 2024)
  • Trenutna uvrstitev (oktober 2025): 5. mesto v singlu.

Zgodnje življenje

Félix Lebrun je odraščal v okolju, kjer je namizni tenis že močno prisoten — tako po družinski liniji kot tudi po osebni poti:

  • Njegov starejši brat Alexis Lebrun je prav tako vrhunski igralec namiznega tenisa; oče Stéphane Lebrun je bil visoko uvrščen v Franciji, stric Christophe Legoût pa je imel izkušnje z nastopi za francosko reprezentanco.
  • Začel je igrati namizni tenis že v zgodnjem otroštvu – že pri treh letih.
  • Posebej zanimivo je, da je Lebrun že zelo zgodaj (star okoli 4 let) začel uporabljati „pen-hold“ prijem (držanje loparja kot pisalo) – kar je pri evropskih igralcih redkost. Inspiracijo je našel v kitajskem igralcu Chen Jian, ki je treniral v Montpellieru in Istresu.
  • Tekom razvoja se je specializiral za tehnike, kjer veliko dela namenja servisu in različnim rotacijam, kar ga ločuje od mnogih vrstnikov.

Tehnika in slog igre

Félix Lebrun izstopa po kombinaciji tehničnih značilnosti in stila igre:

  • Prijem: lopar drži kot „pen-hold“ (prijem, pri katerem igralec drži lopar kot pisalo) – ta prijem je v sodobni eliti namiznega tenisa redkejši, zlasti med evropskimi igralci.
  • Stil igre: Ofenziven igralec, zelo dober v servisu in v začetnemu delu točke. Njegovi servisi in hitro pridobljene točke predstavljajo pomemben del njegove igre.
  • Raznolikost servisov: Naveden je podatek, da lahko dosega med 30 % in 40 % točk že iz svojega servisa oziroma začetnih udarcev, zahvaljujoč velikemu številu različic (v enem poročilu omenjeno „več kot sto“ servisov).
  • Razvoj tehnike: Medtem ko je imel tudi poškodbo pete, je to izkoristil za dodatno vadbo servisov in raznolikih začetnih udarcev.
  • Tandem z bratom: V dvojicah igra skupaj z bratom Alexisom. V tandemu sta že dosegla vrh sveta v dvojicah. Njuna kemija in korelacija sta dodaten tehnični plus.

Najpomembnejše uvrstitve in dosežki (do oktobra 2025)

Leto 2023

  • Zlato na European Games 2023 (moški posamično,  v finalu premagal Marcosa Freitasa). Dosegel vstop v Top 10 svetovne lestvice (ITTF) oktobra 2023 – pristal med najmlajšimi, ki so to uspeli.

Leto 2024

  • Na Summer Olympics 2024 v Parizu osvojil bronasto medaljo v moškem posamičnem. Bronasta medalja v ekipnem tekmovanju za Francijo.
  • Postal je prvi Francoz, ki je zmagal turnir iz serije WTT Champions Montpellier v Montpellieju.
  • V dvojicah z bratom Alexisom dosegla prvo mesto na svetu v dvojicah.

Leto 2025

  • Marca 2025 je osvojil prvi naslov francoskega državnega prvaka pri moških posamično, premagal v finalu brata Alexisa.
  • Oktobra 2025 prva finala Grand Smash-turnirja – postal je prvi Francoz, ki je to dosegel. V dvojicah z bratom Alexisom sta stalno visoko uvrščena – v svetovni lestvici dvojic sta bila na vrhu.

Največji turnirji

Olimpijske igre (Pariz 2024)

  • Bronasta medalja – moški posamezno
  • Bronasta medalja – ekipno (Francija)

Bil je eden najmlajših dobitnikov medalje v namiznem tenisu na OI.

Svetovno prvenstvo

Do oktobra 2025 Félix nima posamične medalje s svetovnega prvenstva v namiznem tenisu.
V ekipnem delu igra kot del francoske reprezentance, Francija pa v tem obdobju ni osvojila medalje na SP.

  • SP 2023 Durban (posamezno): dosegel uvrstitev v osmino finala
  • SP ekipno Busan 2024 (ekipno): Francija se je uvrstila med četrtfinaliste

Lopar in oprema

Félix Lebrun je eden redkih evropskih vrhunskih igralcev s penhold prijemom.

Prijem : “Chinese Penhold” (držanje kot pisalo)

Lopar: Igra z opremo Tibhar (uradni sponzor)

Domnevna in najpogosteje potrjena konfiguracija (2024–2025):

Del opreme Model
Les Tibhar Shang Kun Hybrid AC ali posebej zanj modifikacija Lebrun Custom Penhold
Sprednja guma Tibhar Hybrid K3 (visoka rotacija + trd gumi vrh)
Zadnja guma Tibhar K.O. Pro (antispin / motnja – omogoča “prelom” ritma v igri)

Najbolj prepoznavna značilnost njegove igre je, da z zadnjo stranjo ustvarja “nelinearne” efekte, ki otežijo branje rotacije – to je eden ključev njegovega uspeha.

Viri zapisa: Wikipedia & Google

(zbral in zapisal: fv)