Romania’s Bernadette SZOCS will arrive at the European Championships in Ljubljana with memories of Linz still very much alive. Two years after reaching the Women’s Singles final and also taking silver in Women’s Doubles, the 31-year-old is ready for another challenge – and another opportunity to pursue the Singles title she has been chasing throughout her career. For SZOCS, the memories of Linz bring together pride and disappointment. Reaching her first European Championships Singles final represented an important breakthrough, but finishing runner-up in two events inevitably left her wanting more. “Yes, it is a nice memory and it will stay with me forever. At the same time, it is a little bit painful because I lost two finals, and of course I would have liked to win at least one gold medal. But those two medals mean a lot to me. Until that moment, I had never reached the semi-finals or final in Singles at the European Championships,” said SZOCS. “Losing the final was painful, but at the same time I was very proud of myself because I knew I gave everything at the table. When you give everything and you lose, it can happen. This is sport.” Her record shows just how accustomed SZOCS has become to competing for medals on the biggest European stage. She is a three-time European champion, having won Team gold with Romania in 2017 and 2019 and the Women’s Doubles title in Munich in 2022. Her European Championships collection also includes five Team silver medals, Mixed Doubles silver and two Mixed Doubles bronze medals. At the Europe Top 16, SZOCS was champion in 2018, runner-up in 2019 and 2026 and a bronze medallist in 2021, 2022 and 2024. She also enjoyed major success at the 2023 European Games, winning both the Women’s Singles and Team titles as well as Mixed Doubles bronze. That wealth of experience could prove particularly valuable when the pressure rises in Ljubljana. “I think my experience under pressure will help me a lot. At the World Championships I also played twice for a medal, and I know how to control my emotions and the pressure. Many times I have played for titles and many times I have been in semi-finals and finals. I am ready for these emotions again.” SZOCS has been preparing for Ljubljana alongside a demanding international schedule. Her build-up began before the China Smash, with particular attention paid to details in her game that she felt needed improvement. “My preparation started already before the China Smash. I practised very hard and tried to correct the small things that were not working as well as I wanted. My preparation is going quite well and I can say that I am ready for the European Championships.” She expects another extremely demanding Women’s Singles event, with Europe’s leading players arriving in Ljubljana prepared for a major battle. “The European Championships in Ljubljana will be very strong. There are many strong players and everybody is very well prepared. I am ready for a big fight. I will take it match by match, step by step. I want to enjoy every moment of the European Championships and try to give my best and bring medals home for Romania.” For all the medals already in her collection, one ambition remains particularly powerful. After coming within one victory of the European Singles crown in Linz, SZOCS makes no secret of what winning the title would mean. “If I can repeat the same result as two years ago, it would be amazing. It will not be easy, but nothing is impossible when you believe in yourself. Of course, I would love to bring the gold home because it is my dream. I think it is possible. Nothing is impossible in our sport.” And for a player who has already won European, European Games and Europe Top 16 titles, becoming European champion in Singles would carry a special significance. “To be European champion would be another dream come true. I just want to give my best, enjoy it and leave the European Championships proud of myself, knowing that I gave everything I could at the table.”
Dang QIU at the forefront of Germany’s Ljubljana campaign
Former European champion Dang QIU will lead a strong German contingent at the 2026 European Championships in Ljubljana, with the seven-player line-up combining some of the country’s most experienced names with a new generation ready to make its mark at senior level. The 29-year-old QIU knows exactly what it takes to succeed on the European stage. He won the Men’s Singles crown in Munich in 2022, having previously claimed Mixed Doubles gold in Warsaw in 2020 and Team gold in Cluj-Napoca in 2021. He added Team bronze at the 2025 European Championships in Zadar and was runner-up at the Europe Top 16 in 2023. At the 2023 European Games in Kraków-Małopolska, QIU collected two more gold medals, in Mixed Doubles and the Men’s Team event. Beyond European competition, he was part of Germany’s silver-medal-winning team at the 2022 World Championships in Chengdu and won Mixed Team bronze at the 2025 World Cup. QIU heads to Ljubljana encouraged by his recent victory at the WTT Star Contender Astana, where he defeated reigning European champion Alexis LEBRUN on his way to the title. “Every victory gives you additional confidence, and winning a tournament and beating a world-class player like Alexis Lebrun even more so. But the fact is that the cards are reshuffled every day and I have to continue working hard on myself to be in top form at the European Championships. There is also the China Smash in between, where a lot can happen.” Germany will have another major contender in Benedikt DUDA, who produced his best European Championships Singles result in Linz two years ago. DUDA reached the final before taking silver behind Alexis LEBRUN, a result that marked the beginning of the strongest period of his career. The 32-year-old also has two European Team titles, from 2019 and 2021, and added bronze at the Europe Top 16 earlier this year. “That period propelled me all the way to No. 8 in the world ranking. In 2026, however, I haven’t progressed beyond the Round of 16 at any WTT tournament so far, and as a result I have dropped considerably in the ranking again. I think that after making that rise, I listened to too many people’s opinions instead of consistently continuing on my own path. But I am learning from that and will do better again now,” said DUDA. Few players in Ljubljana will be able to match the European record of Dimitrij OVTCHAROV. The 38-year-old won the Men’s Singles title in 2013 and 2015 and has eight European Team titles to his name. He returned to the Singles podium in Linz in 2024, taking bronze. His record extends far beyond Europe, with six Olympic medals and numerous World Championships honours, but OVTCHAROV believes he can still challenge Europe’s best. “I have won two gold medals, one silver and three bronze medals. So the European Championships are a tournament that I have always really enjoyed and where I have usually played very well. My victory over Truls Möregardh a few weeks ago gave me a lot of confidence and the feeling that I can beat anyone and that I still belong among the title contenders. My goal is to win another medal. And once you reach the semi-finals, of course you want to go even further.” Patrick FRANZISKA adds further experience to the German line-up. The 34-year-old is a former Europe Top 16 champion and has won four European Team titles, as well as European Men’s Doubles gold in 2016. He also has European Championships medals in Singles, Doubles and Mixed Doubles. FRANZISKA expects a particularly open battle in Ljubljana. “The European Championships are as evenly matched as they have been for a long time. There are many very strong players in Europe. Of course, I am once again travelling there with high expectations, but making a prediction is difficult. There are many players who can win the tournament or go very far. That’s why you simply have to take it round by round and see what is possible.” Germany’s challenge will also include two players who earned their places through the 2026 European Under 21 Championships. European Under 21 champion Andre BERTELSMEIER returns to the senior continental stage after reaching the Round of 16 on his European Championships debut in 2024, while European Under 21 runner-up Wim VERDONSCHOT will make his first appearance at the senior event. “My title at the European Under 21 Championships and reaching the Round of 16 in 2024 show that on a good day I can already cause problems for the leading players. Of course, my goal is also to challenge the established players. However, the depth of quality in Europe is incredibly high. Almost anyone can beat anyone – so every round at the European Championships is a major challenge,” said BERTELSMEIER. VERDONSCHOT is approaching his senior European Championships debut without putting additional pressure on himself. “Since it is my first senior European Championships, I’ll just see what is possible. Of course, I want to get through qualification and then simply see how far the journey takes me. I hope I can produce my best table tennis and get the maximum out of myself.” Kay STUMPER completes Germany’s seven-player squad. Already a European Team champion and World Championships Team silver medallist, he will make his European Individual Championships debut in Ljubljana. “I simply want to play as well as possible. I’m in good form at the moment and, of course, I would like to go far. I’m familiar with major tournaments, but I haven’t played at a European Individual Championships before. I’m really looking forward to it.” Germany will also have considerable experience in the Doubles events. QIU will partner DUDA in Men’s Doubles, while FRANZISKA and OVTCHAROV join forces. For QIU and DUDA, Ljubljana presents an opportunity to add one of the few European honours still missing from their partnership. “Benne and I are a world-class doubles pair, but surprisingly we really are still missing that European Championships medal.
Władysławowo and Sarajevo awarded 2028 European Under 13 and Under 21 Championships
The ETTU Executive Board has awarded the hosting rights for two European Championships in 2028, with Poland and Bosnia and Herzegovina set to welcome Europe’s rising table tennis talents. Władysławowo, Poland, will host the 2028 European Under 13 Championships, with the event to be staged at the Cetniewo venue. Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, has been awarded the 2028 European Under 21 Championships, which will take place at Arena Hills.
ABIODUN takes U19 Boys crown ahead of PILARD and NOIRAULT
Portugal’s Tiago ABIODUN emerged as the winner of the Under 19 Boys event at the Europe Youth Top 10 in Antibes, finishing the competition with eight wins from nine matches. ABIODUN entered the final day in contention for the title and completed his campaign with victories over France’s Antoine NOIRAULT and Nathan PILARD. After a 4-2 win over NOIRAULT in Round 8, the Portuguese player beat PILARD 4-1 in the concluding round to secure top spot. The battle behind ABIODUN was extremely close. PILARD and NOIRAULT both finished with seven wins and two defeats, with PILARD taking second place and NOIRAULT third. PILARD had earlier beaten Bulgaria’s Yoan VELICHKOV 4-1 and Russia’s Aleksei SAMOKHIN 4-3, while NOIRAULT defeated SAMOKHIN 4-1 before losing to ABIODUN. SAMOKHIN finished fourth with six wins, ahead of France’s Flavio MOURIER, who recorded five victories. VELICHKOV was sixth and Poland’s Marcel BLASZCZYK seventh, both finishing with four wins. Slovakia’s Samuel ARPAS took eighth place. The competition was also affected by injuries, with Romania’s Robert ISTRATE and Poland’s Patryk ZYWORONEK forced to withdraw. Final standings Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Round 6 Round 7 Round 8 Round 9
HOCHART completes unbeaten campaign to claim U19 Girls title in Antibes
France’s Leana HOCHART completed an outstanding Europe Youth Top 10 campaign in Antibes by finishing unbeaten and securing the Under 19 Girls title ahead of compatriot Alexia NODIN and Romania’s Bianca MEI-ROSU. HOCHART went through the competition without a defeat and closed the event with three more victories on the final day. She beat Poland’s Natalia BOGDANOWICZ 4-2 and Romania’s Alesia SFERLEA 4-0 before overcoming MEI-ROSU 4-2 in the last round. Behind the champion, NODIN and MEI-ROSU both finished with seven wins and two defeats. NODIN took second place, with MEI-ROSU completing the podium in third. NODIN strengthened her position with a 4-1 win over Portugal’s Julia LEAL in Round 8, although she was denied victory in the closing round by BOGDANOWICZ, who prevailed 4-1. MEI-ROSU beat LEAL 4-2 and BOGDANOWICZ 4-1 before meeting HOCHART in the final round. BOGDANOWICZ finished fourth with five wins, ahead of Poland’s Karolina HOLDA in fifth. Czechia’s Veronika POLAKOVA was sixth, Belgium’s Lilou MASSART seventh, Portugal’s Julia LEAL eighth and Romania’s Alesia SFERLEA ninth. Germany’s Koharu ITAGAKI was forced to withdraw from the competition through injury after her fourth match. Final standings Under 19 Girls Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Round 6 Round 7 Round 8 Round 9
MAYOROV claims U15 Boys title at Europe Youth Top 10
Spain’s Ladimir MAYOROV claimed the Under 15 Boys title at the 2026 Europe Youth Top 10 in Antibes, completing the nine-round competition with eight victories and only one defeat. MAYOROV proved the most consistent player across the three days at the Azur Arena. His only defeat came against compatriot Marcos GOMEZ in the third round, but from that point he remained unbeaten, putting together six consecutive victories to secure top position. On the final day, the Spaniard defeated Czechia’s Ondrej MORAVEK and Sweden’s Emil ELLERMANN in straight games before facing Germany’s Tien Nghia PHONG in his last match. PHONG pushed the eventual champion all the way, but MAYOROV prevailed 4-3 to finish with an 8-1 record. France’s Noah TESSIER secured second place with six wins and three defeats. He finished the competition strongly with three victories on the closing day, beating GOMEZ 4-0, Nazar BAKIROV 4-2 and MORAVEK 4-3. PHONG also completed the tournament with a 6-3 record and took third place. The German beat Alexander MALOV 4-0 in Round 8 and came close to finishing with another victory before MAYOROV edged him in seven games. Poland’s Hubert KWIECINSKI and GOMEZ both finished with five wins and four defeats, taking fourth and fifth places respectively. BAKIROV and Germany’s Lukas WANG followed with four victories each. The round-robin format once again produced plenty of changes throughout the three days, but MAYOROV ultimately separated himself from the field, recovering from his early defeat and going unbeaten through the remaining six rounds to take the U15 Boys crown. Final standings Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Round 6 Round 7 Round 8 Round 9
TOLMACHEVA takes U15 Girls crown after thrilling tie at the top in Antibes
Varvara TOLMACHEVA emerged as the winner of the Under 15 Girls event at the 2026 Europe Youth Top 10 in Antibes after a thrilling conclusion that saw three players finish level with eight wins and one defeat. The Russian player claimed top spot ahead of France’s Albane ROCHUT and compatriot Amina ILIMBETOVA, with the final order between the trio decided by the tie-break after all three completed the nine rounds with identical 8-1 records. TOLMACHEVA entered the final day unbeaten and, after suffering her only defeat in a dramatic seven-game encounter against ROCHUT in Round 7, responded strongly. She beat Poland’s Lucja KOBOSZ 4-1 before closing her campaign with a commanding 4-0 victory over Slovakia’s Barbora GUASSARDO. ROCHUT produced a perfect final day to surge into second place. The French player first inflicted TOLMACHEVA’s only defeat, winning 4-3 in a match decided 14-12 in the seventh game. She then overcame GUASSARDO 4-0 and completed her campaign with a 4-1 victory over Czechia’s Adela BRHELOVA. ILIMBETOVA also finished on eight victories. She was dominant in her final three matches, beating Austria’s Sophia PICHLER 4-0, Germany’s Amelie JIA 4-0 and KOBOSZ 4-2. Her only defeat of the competition had come earlier against TOLMACHEVA. With TOLMACHEVA, ROCHUT and ILIMBETOVA all finishing on 17 points and 8-1 records, the tie-break placed TOLMACHEVA first, ROCHUT second and ILIMBETOVA third. Poland’s Aleksandra NAWROCKA finished fourth with six wins and three defeats, while JIA took fifth place. Switzerland’s Enya HU was sixth, followed by GUASSARDO, KOBOSZ and BRHELOVA, with PICHLER completing the standings. Final standings U15 Girls – Results Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Round 6 Round 7 Round 8 Round 9
SAMOKHIN holds firm while NOIRAULT enjoys perfect day in Antibes
Aleksei SAMOKHIN of Russia remains unbeaten in the Under 19 Boys event at the Europe Youth Top 10 in Antibes after another strong day, while France’s Antoine NOIRAULT produced a perfect Saturday to stay firmly in contention. See the pictures by Anthoine BERTHELEMY here. SAMOKHIN carried his perfect record from the opening day into Saturday and immediately faced a demanding test against Bulgaria’s Yoan VELICHKOV. The match was level after four games, but SAMOKHIN took the final two to secure a 4-2 victory. His evening encounter with Portugal’s Tiago ABIODUN was even closer. ABIODUN led 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2, but SAMOKHIN responded each time. The Russian took the sixth game to force a decider and completed the comeback in the seventh for a 4-3 victory. ABIODUN nevertheless enjoyed a strong day. He beat Poland’s Marcel BLASZCZYK 4-2 before producing one of the best comebacks of the competition against VELICHKOV. Trailing 3-0, ABIODUN won four games in succession to claim a dramatic 4-3 victory. NOIRAULT was flawless on Saturday, adding three victories to his campaign. The French player opened with a 4-1 win over Slovakia’s Samuel ARPAS before beating BLASZCZYK by the same score. His final match against VELICHKOV went the full distance. The Bulgarian held a 3-1 advantage, but NOIRAULT turned the contest around, winning the final three games to complete a 4-3 victory and a perfect second day. France’s Nathan PILARD also strengthened his position with two victories. He beat ARPAS 4-1 before overcoming BLASZCZYK by the same score in the evening session. ARPAS finished the day on a high after a dramatic seven-game contest against France’s Flavio MOURIER. The Slovak player trailed 3-1 but recovered to win the final three games and take the match 4-3. The competition was also affected by injuries, with Poland’s Patryk ZYWORONEK and Romania’s Robert ISTRATE forced to withdraw. With the decisive matches still to come, unbeaten SAMOKHIN has the advantage, while ABIODUN, PILARD and NOIRAULT remain firmly involved in the battle for the U19 Boys title. Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Round 6 Round 7 – 12:30 Round 8 – 16:30 Round 9 – 19:50
Unbeaten HOCHART sets the pace as NODIN stays in the hunt
France’s Leana HOCHART remains unbeaten in the Under 19 Girls event at the Europe Youth Top 10 in Antibes after another impressive day, while compatriot Alexia NODIN stayed firmly in the title race with three victories on Saturday. See the pictures by Anthoine BERTHELEMY here. HOCHART has yet to lose after six matches and continued her run without dropping a game on the second day. She opened with a commanding 4-0 victory over Czechia’s Veronika POLAKOVA and later produced another straight-games performance against Portugal’s Julia LEAL. The French player had already made a strong start on Friday, when she won all three of her matches, and she remains the only unbeaten player in the competition. NODIN, whose only defeat came against Romania’s Bianca MEI-ROSU on the opening day, responded with an excellent second day. She began by beating Poland’s Karolina HOLDA 4-0, overcame Belgium’s Lilou MASSART 4-2 and finished with another straight-games victory against POLAKOVA. MEI-ROSU also remains very much in contention. The Romanian added two victories on Saturday, beating MASSART 4-2 and POLAKOVA 4-1. Her only defeat so far came against NODIN on Friday. Behind the leading trio, Natalia BOGDANOWICZ of Poland continued her solid campaign, while HOLDA finished the day with a dramatic seven-game victory over MASSART. Germany’s Koharu ITAGAKI was forced to withdraw from the competition through injury after Round 4. Following her withdrawal, her results were erased and are no longer counted in the competition. With the decisive matches still ahead, HOCHART carries an unbeaten record into the final day, with NODIN and MEI-ROSU keeping the pressure on in the battle for the U19 Girls title. Under 19 Girls Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Round 6 Round 7 – 11:40 Round 8 – 15:40 Round 9 – 19:00
TOLMACHEVA stays perfect as ROCHUT keeps up the pressure in Antibes
Varvara TOLMACHEVA of Russia maintained her perfect record in the Under 15 Girls event at the Europe Youth Top 10 in Antibes, moving to the top of the standings with six wins from six matches. See the pictures by Anthoine BERTHELEMY here. After completing the opening day unbeaten, TOLMACHEVA continued her run with another three victories on Saturday. She first overcame Austria’s Sophia PICHLER 4-2 before facing a much tougher challenge from Switzerland’s Enya HU. TOLMACHEVA won the opening two games, but HU responded by taking three in succession to move 3-2 ahead. TOLMACHEVA regained control when it mattered most, taking the sixth and seventh games to prevail 4-3. She then completed her perfect day with a 4-1 victory over Germany’s Amelie JIA. Amina ILIMBETOVA is TOLMACHEVA’s closest challenger in the standings with a 5-1 record. After losing to TOLMACHEVA in the opening round on Friday, ILIMBETOVA has won five matches in succession. Her second day began with one of the most dramatic encounters of the competition against France’s Albane ROCHUT. The match went the full distance before ILIMBETOVA prevailed in the seventh game for a 4-3 victory, inflicting ROCHUT’s first defeat of the tournament. ILIMBETOVA followed with a 4-1 win over Slovakia’s Barbora GUASSARDO and closed the day in commanding fashion, beating Czechia’s Adela BRHELOVA in straight games. ROCHUT remains firmly in contention at 5-1. After the narrow defeat to ILIMBETOVA, the French player responded with a 4-1 victory over Poland’s Aleksandra NAWROCKA. Her final match against HU produced another seven-game battle. ROCHUT moved 3-1 ahead before HU fought back to force a decider, but the home favourite held her nerve to win the seventh game and secure her fifth victory. NAWROCKA, JIA and GUASSARDO are all on 3-3, with NAWROCKA occupying fourth place in the official standings. The Polish player edged HU 4-3 in Round 4, lost to ROCHUT and then finished strongly with a 4-0 victory over GUASSARDO. With three rounds remaining, TOLMACHEVA holds the only perfect record at 6-0, while ILIMBETOVA and ROCHUT are both one victory behind at 5-1. The three are now setting the pace as the battle for the U15 Girls title heads into the final day in Antibes. U15 Girls – Results Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Round 6 Round 7, 10:00 Round 8, 14:00 Round 9, 17:20
