In the February 2025 rankings, France’s Alexis Lebrun broke into the men’s singles top 10, joining his younger brother Felix — the two siblings standing together at the elite level, something European men’s table tennis had not seen in years.

Europe’s long subjugation to Asia has been the dominant story of the past two decades. The Lebruns matter not for a single upset but because they turned “Europe can threaten China consistently” into an expected state. Felix is younger and quicker out of the blocks; Alexis is the steadier, thicker game. The two complement each other and both can hold nerve in big matches.

Just as important is the atmosphere they lift. France’s men’s team can now trade blows with China and Japan in team events, and the Lebruns are the hardest billboard; when a team has flagship players, youth training, the league and commercial attention all follow. This is not one man’s flash — it is the start of an ecosystem lighting up.

For China, a European revival is never a bad thing. Stronger rivals expose your problems earlier; a sport with one dominant power eventually loses its audience. With the Lebrun flag planted, the world map of table tennis starts to look more like it should.