[French Revolution] The secret behind Lebrun’s table tennis, which defies convention: “After the Olympics, everything that happened was one surprise after another”

Lebrun Brothers Interview
Alexis LEBRUN [FRANCE]
World No. 14, Paris Olympics medalist, European champion
Felix LEBRUN [FRANCE]
World No. 4, Paris Olympics medalist
*As of June 10, 2026

Right now, the place that players and coaches from all over the world want to visit is Montpellier, France..There, the Lebrun brothers have a training hall where they hone their creativity. The brothers explain the essence of the training and the way of thinking that Lebrun follows. What can be read from the Lebrun Brothers interview is nothing other than the “French Revolution.”
Photo Manabu Nakagawa / Remy Gros ITTF

Alexis Lebrun
Born August 27, 2003, from Montpellier, France. Won silver in the team event at the 2024 World Championships and bronze in the men’s team event at the Paris Olympics; won the men’s singles and doubles at the European Championships; won men’s doubles at WTT Finals Fukuoka; world ranking No. 12 (as of June 10, 2026); belongs to the Montpellier Table Tennis Club in France

Felix Lebrun
Born September 12, 2006, from Montpellier, France. Won the men’s singles at the 2023 European Games; won silver in the team event at the 2024 World Championships; won bronze in men’s singles and team at the Paris Olympics; won WTT Champions Montpellier; won men’s doubles at WTT Finals Fukuoka; world ranking No. 4 (as of June 10, 2026); belongs to the Montpellier Table Tennis Club in France

After the Olympics, table tennis exploded in popularity, and it feels like our lives changed completely｜Alexis

●—It’s said that after the Olympics, a table tennis boom has taken hold in France. I heard you were invited to the prime minister’s office, appeared on TV, were interviewed by newspapers, and had numerous celebration parties—it must have been quite a stir haha.　

Alexis Lebrun (hereafter AL)After the Olympics, table tennis exploded in popularity, and it feels like our lives changed completely. At the celebration events, it’s an indescribable feeling that wherever we go, about 8,000 people celebrate with us. We’re enjoying ourselves and sharing the joy with everyone.

　We may never experience this moment again, and I think I’ll never forget being able to share this emotion with such a wonderful team.

Felix Lebrun (hereafter FL)　Everything that happened after the Olympics was nothing but surprises. Table tennis suddenly became popular in France, and now many people are enjoying table tennis. Not only the Olympics itself, but also the preparation period before it and the months afterward were amazing. So more than the Matchs, I often remember what I experienced after the Olympics and the many interactions with fans. That’s what the Olympics feel like to me.

●—After playing that many Matchs at the Olympics, players are exhausted and worn out, and some even develop something like burnout. But even after the Olympics, Alexis won the European Championships, and Felix won at WTT Montpellier. It looks like you’ve brought the momentum of the Olympics home with you. Where does that energy come from?

AL　We’re still young haha. Our motivation is still very high. After the Olympics, we took a longer vacation, and that helped us recover our energy. After our break, we decided, “We want to play in the best condition at the European Championships and WTT Montpellier.” And we were able to achieve that perfectly.

　Of course we were tired, but accomplishing that was truly wonderful. The highlight of 2024 wasn’t only the Olympics. I think we were able to turn a year’s worth of effort into lasting memories.