Flavien Coton, Félix and Alexis Lebrun were defeated on Saturday in London by the Chinese team led by world number one Wang Chuqin. The French team leaves with the bronze medal.
The French team is getting closer to toppling the Chinese powerhouse. Beaten in the final of the World Team Championships in 2024, the French team showed more resistance and came close to achieving a real feat. Nathanaël Molin’s players were defeated with honor, 3-1 against China in the semi-finals of the World Team Championships on Saturday, May 9 in London.
From the start of the match, young Flavien Coton – only 18 years old and ranked 23rd globally – set the tone by facing world number one Wang Chuqin without fear. After losing the first set, the French player won the next two sets before losing the match. French number one and world number 4 Felix Lebrun, bronze medalist in singles at the Paris Olympics, then fulfilled his duty by defeating 6th-ranked player Lin Shindong in three sets.
Inspired by his brother’s victory, Alexis Lebrun faced Liang Jingkun, the lowest-ranked player on the Chinese team. After an easy win in the first two sets (11-3, 11-1), the French player saw his opponent come back and take the lead. Even though he saved seven set points in a row in the third set, the Lebrun brothers’ reign couldn’t find a way to regain control. He lost in two sets.
Returning to the table to keep his team alive, Felix Lebrun managed to win only one set against Wang Chuqin (defeat 3-1). Not enough to reach a final that China has not missed since 1991. The French team leaves with the bronze medal. China will face Japan in the final, who had previously defeated Taiwan.
/2026/05/09/69ff9f4dc0408476016445.jpg "Tennis: Two weeks before Roland Garros, French number 1 Arthur Fils withdraws in Rome due to a hip injury")
