Defending champions Alexis and Félix LEBRUN of France will face Sweden’s Kristian KARLSSON and Anton KÄLLBERG in the Men’s Doubles final at the 2026 European Championships in Ljubljana after both pairs secured straight-games victories in Friday’s semifinals at Arena Stožice.
The LEBRUN brothers, who claimed the European title in Linz two years ago and bronze in Munich in 2022, defeated their French teammates Esteban DORR and Florian BOURRASSAUD 3-0 (12-10, 11-9, 11-7). KARLSSON and KÄLLBERG were equally impressive, overcoming Moldova’s Vladislav URSU and Andrei PUTUNTICA 3-0 (11-5, 11-9, 15-13).
For the French brothers, the scoreline did not reflect the intensity of their semifinal. The opening two games were closely contested, but the defending champions delivered when it mattered most.
“I’m really happy. It wasn’t easy, and I think the 3-0 scoreline is quite harsh because the first two games were extremely close. The opening game was a major turning point and allowed us to relax a little. It feels particularly good because we could see that they were in excellent form and had prepared very well. We really had to fight for this victory, and it shows once again that we are capable of staying solid under pressure. I’m very proud of us,” said Alexis LEBRUN.
Facing DORR and BOURRASSAUD was particularly challenging because of the close relationship between the two French pairs.
“Of course, it’s a special match when you’re playing against your teammates from the French national team, especially Esteban and Flo, who train with us. We spend practically every day together,” explained Félix LEBRUN.
“Alexis and I prepared for the match based on our previous encounters with them, but also on what we know from training together. We tried to exploit their weaknesses, and I think we managed to disrupt their game. We played a very good opening game and managed to win it despite how close it was. After that, I think we had a slight advantage in the match. The second game could also have gone either way, but we played well at the crucial moments, which was great.”
The brothers had to recover from a difficult position in the opening game, but Félix insisted that their success came from maintaining their approach rather than making major tactical changes.
“We didn’t change anything. We just kept fighting. That’s table tennis – sometimes the momentum changes. There were a couple of points when they were dominating, and then they made a mistake. Winning that game was a huge boost for us. We knew it was a blow for them, and we also know how difficult it is for anyone to come back against us when we lead 1-0.”
“We didn’t make any particular tactical adjustments at that moment. Usually, we already know our tactics. We’ve prepared them and followed them, so they become quite natural. We just keep trying to win each point, sometimes with small variations or little surprises, but that’s something we do throughout the match.”
In the other semifinal, KARLSSON and KÄLLBERG controlled the opening stages against URSU and PUTUNTICA before being pushed to their limits in the third game. The Swedish pair eventually prevailed 15-13 to secure their place in Saturday’s gold medal match.
“We felt good going into the match. We were ready from the start and had a clear plan for how we wanted to play. We knew a little about URSU and PUTUNTICA’s strengths and what they were trying to do, so we started solidly and managed to maintain our lead throughout the match,” said KÄLLBERG.
KARLSSON, one of Europe’s most decorated doubles players, was satisfied with how the pair handled the decisive moments.
“We won the first two games relatively comfortably, although the margins were not huge. Then it became much closer. It is difficult to beat anyone easily in a European Championships semifinal. I think we played really well at the crucial moments after 10-10 and managed to win in three games.”
The experienced Swede has an outstanding record in Men’s Doubles, having won European gold in 2022 alongside Mattias FALCK, silver in 2018 and 2012, and bronze in 2024, 2016 and 2015, all with FALCK.
Now playing alongside KÄLLBERG, KARLSSON believes their contrasting strengths make them a formidable combination.
“I have played a lot of doubles over the years, so I feel very comfortable in doubles. Anton is extremely good at playing over the table, which is very important in doubles, and he is also excellent in his movement. When you have a partner who is that good, it makes playing together quite easy.”
KÄLLBERG, who is chasing his first European Championships Men’s Doubles medal in Ljubljana, knows that defeating the reigning champions will require another exceptional performance.
“It will take a tremendous performance in the final, regardless of who we face. We will have to play at our absolute best, and I hope we can make it happen.”
The LEBRUN brothers are equally aware of the challenge awaiting them.
“They are an incredible pair, with Kristian KARLSSON, who has an outstanding record, and Anton KÄLLBERG, who is also a very strong player. We expect a difficult match. We know our strengths, and we will try to win the title by producing a great performance in the final,” said Félix LEBRUN.
