Two years after Sofia POLCANOVA of Austria stood on top of the podium in Linz, the European Women’s Singles title will once again be up for grabs, with a deep and experienced field heading to the European Championships in Ljubljana and several of the players who shaped the closing stages of the 2024 Championships ready for another challenge. Arena Stožice will host the 2026 European Individual Championships from 11 to 18 October, and Women’s Singles will run throughout the eight-day programme. Qualification begins on Sunday and continues until Tuesday, before the main draw gets underway with the Round of 64 on Wednesday. The quarter-finals are scheduled for Saturday, with the semi-finals and title match on the final day of competition. POLCANOVA arrives in Slovenia as the defending champion and one of the most decorated players in the field. The 32-year-old Austrian is the two-time reigning European Women’s Singles champion, having won the title in Munich in 2022 before successfully defending it in Linz two years later. She also won Women’s Doubles gold in Munich, while in Linz she added Women’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles silver. Her record at the Europe Top 16 includes silver medals in 2023 and 2024 and three bronze medals, while she also won Women’s Doubles silver at the 2025 World Championships in Doha. Her 2024 campaign gathered momentum as the tournament progressed. After opening with a straight-games victory, she beat Veronika MATIUNINA of Ukraine 4-0 and then overcame Sweden’s Christina KALLBERG 4-0. In the quarter-finals, POLCANOVA defeated Germany’s Sabine WINTER 4-1 before overcoming Nina MITTELHAM, also of Germany, by the same score in the semi-final. In the title match, she beat Romania’s Bernadette SZOCS 4-1 to retain the European crown. This time, however, Sabine WINTER will enter the competition as the No. 1 seed. The 33-year-old German arrives in Ljubljana as the reigning Europe Top 16 champion after winning the title in Montreux earlier this year. She is also a two-time European Women’s Doubles champion and a five-time European Team champion, with her most recent Team gold coming in Zadar in 2025. Her individual European Championships record includes Women’s Singles bronze from Munich in 2022. WINTER was also among the leading contenders in Linz two years ago, reaching the quarter-finals before POLCANOVA ended her run with a 4-1 victory. Beyond European competition, she has won three World Championships Team bronze medals, in 2010, 2022 and 2026, as well as Mixed Team bronze at the 2025 World Cup and Singles bronze at the 2026 World Cup in Macau. Bernadette SZOCS, the No. 2 seed and 2024 runner-up, returns with another opportunity to challenge for the title. The 31-year-old Romanian is the reigning European Women’s Singles silver medallist and also won Women’s Doubles silver in Linz. She is a three-time European champion, with Team titles from 2017 and 2019 and Women’s Doubles gold from Munich in 2022. At the Europe Top 16, SZOCS won gold in 2018, silver in 2019 and 2026 and bronze in 2021, 2022 and 2024. She was also a double champion at the 2023 European Games, winning both Women’s Singles and Team gold. Beyond Europe, she won Women’s Doubles silver at the 2025 World Championships in Doha and Team bronze in London in 2026. SZOCS enjoyed an impressive journey to the Linz final. She opened her main-draw campaign with a 4-0 victory and continued past Sweden’s Linda BERGSTROM and Charlotte LUTZ of France before overcoming Spain’s Maria XIAO 4-1 in the semi-final. The strength at the top of the draw extends even further. Germany’s Ying HAN is the No. 3 seed, while defending champion POLCANOVA is No. 4. HAN, 43, is a five-time European champion, with four Team titles and Mixed Doubles gold from Alicante in 2018. She has also won the Europe Top 16 three times, in 2022, 2023 and 2025, and has two European Games Team titles. Her international record includes Team silver at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and World Championships Team bronze in 2022 and 2026. France’s Jia Nan YUAN follows among the leading entries. The 41-year-old won Mixed Doubles gold at the 2022 European Championships in Munich and Team bronze in Malmö in 2023, while she lifted the Europe Top 16 trophy in 2024 and returned to the podium with bronze in 2026. She was also part of the French team that won bronze at the 2024 World Championships in Busan. Nina MITTELHAM adds further strength to the German challenge. The 29-year-old is a five-time European champion, with Women’s Doubles gold from 2018, Mixed Doubles gold from 2020 and three consecutive Team titles in 2021, 2023 and 2025. She was the Women’s Singles silver medallist in Munich in 2022 and took bronze in Linz two years later. MITTELHAM also has two European Games gold medals and World Championships Team bronze medals from Chengdu 2022 and London 2026. France will arrive with considerable depth. Prithika PAVADE, 22, already has four senior European Championships bronze medals – two in Mixed Doubles and two in the Team event – and was part of France’s bronze-medal-winning team at the 2024 World Championships in Busan. Her compatriot Charlotte LUTZ, 21, won European Team bronze in Malmö in 2023 and World Championships Team bronze in Busan the following year. Spain’s Maria XIAO was one of the major figures in Linz. The 32-year-old won the European Mixed Doubles title and reached the Women’s Singles semi-finals, taking bronze. She also has Women’s Doubles bronze from Munich in 2022. Few players in Ljubljana can match the longevity of Romania’s Elizabeta SAMARA. At 37, she is an eight-time European champion, including the Women’s Singles title won in Yekaterinburg in 2015, alongside two Women’s Doubles, two Mixed Doubles and three Team crowns. Her European Championships collection also includes ten silver and six bronze medals. SAMARA won Europe Top 16 silver in 2025 and European Games Team gold in 2023, while beyond Europe she has World Championships Team bronze from London 2026 and World Cup Singles silver from 2012. The

Defending champion Alexis LEBRUN of France will return to the European Championships in Ljubljana with his sights set on retaining the Men’s Singles crown he won two years ago in Linz. With many of Europe’s leading players in the field and Slovenia’s Darko JORGIC preparing to compete in front of a home crowd, the battle for the title at Arena Stožice brings together familiar rivals and a strong group of challengers. The 2026 European Individual Championships will be played from 11 to 18 October at Arena Stožice, with the Men’s Singles competition beginning with the qualification stage on Sunday. The main draw starts with the Round of 64 on Wednesday, followed by the Round of 32 on Thursday, the Round of 16 on Friday and the quarter-finals on Saturday. The semi-finals and final will bring the Championships to a close on Sunday. Two years ago in Linz, France’s Alexis LEBRUN produced a memorable run to the title. He defeated Germany’s Dang QIU 4-1 in the quarter-final before overcoming Truls MOREGARD of Sweden 4-0 in the semi-final. In the title match, LEBRUN defeated Germany’s Benedikt DUDA 4-0 to become European champion. DUDA had reached the final after an impressive campaign of his own. He advanced past France’s Felix LEBRUN 4-0 in the quarter-final before defeating compatriot Dimitrij OVTCHAROV 4-2 in the semi-final. MOREGARD and OVTCHAROV therefore completed the 2024 Men’s Singles podium as bronze medallists. Many of the leading protagonists from Linz are back, and their medal records underline the depth of the field heading to Ljubljana. France’s Felix LEBRUN, 20, already boasts an impressive senior record. His European achievements include Men’s Doubles gold in Linz in 2024 and Team gold at the 2025 European Championships in Zadar, alongside European Games Men’s Singles gold in 2023. He also won two bronze medals at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, in Men’s Singles and the Men’s Team event, and has collected silver and bronze medals at World Championships level. His older brother, Alexis LEBRUN, 23, arrives as the defending European Men’s Singles champion after his double gold in Singles and Doubles in Linz. He added Team gold with France in Zadar in 2025 and has won the Europe Top 16 in each of the past two editions, in 2025 and 2026. His international record also includes Olympic Team bronze from Paris 2024 and medals at three World Championships. Sweden’s Truls MOREGARD, 24, returns after winning Men’s Singles bronze and Men’s Doubles silver in Linz. A European Team champion with Sweden in Malmö in 2023, MOREGARD has also collected three Europe Top 16 medals. Beyond Europe, he won two silver medals at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, in Men’s Singles and the Men’s Team event, and has twice reached the World Championships podium in Singles. For the home crowd, particular attention will be on Slovenia’s Darko JORGIC, 28. The 2022 European Men’s Singles silver medallist has also won two European Team bronze medals and enjoyed exceptional success at the Europe Top 16, winning the title three consecutive times from 2022 to 2024 and adding three silver medals. Germany brings an extraordinary amount of experience to Ljubljana. Benedikt DUDA, 32, returns as the European Men’s Singles silver medallist after reaching the Linz final. A two-time European Team champion, he also won Team silver in 2023, Team bronze in 2025 and Europe Top 16 bronze earlier this year. Patrick FRANZISKA, 34, has one of the deepest medal collections among the German contingent. He is a European Men’s Doubles champion and four-time European Team champion, while his individual record includes Men’s Singles bronze from Alicante in 2018. He won the Europe Top 16 in 2021 and is a three-time European Games champion. His international honours include Olympic Team silver and four World Championships medals. Germany’s Dang QIU, 29, knows what it takes to win the individual crown, having become European Men’s Singles champion in Munich in 2022. He is also a European champion in Mixed Doubles and the Team event, a double European Games gold medallist and the 2023 Europe Top 16 silver medallist. At World level, he has Team silver from the World Championships and Mixed Team bronze from the World Cup. Sweden’s Anton KALLBERG, 29, won European Team gold on home soil in Malmö in 2023 before taking Men’s Doubles silver in Linz a year later. His record also includes three further European Championships bronze medals and Team silver at the 2023 European Games. At the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, he helped Sweden claim Team silver. France’s Simon GAUZY, 31, is another former European Singles finalist, having taken silver in Budapest in 2016. He added European Team gold in Zadar in 2025 to a collection that also includes five European Championships bronze medals. GAUZY has also won medals at two European Games, the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and three World Championships. Few players in the field can match the medal collection of Germany’s Dimitrij OVTCHAROV, 38. The two-time European Men’s Singles champion has also won eight European Team titles and was back on the individual podium in Linz two years ago, taking bronze. He is a five-time Europe Top 12/Top 16 winner and a three-time European Games champion. His international record includes six Olympic medals, five World Championships medals and the 2017 Men’s World Cup title. The depth continues well beyond those names. Tomislav PUCAR of Croatia, Marcos FREITAS of Portugal, Eduard IONESCU of Romania, Alvaro ROBLES of Spain, Kristian KARLSSON of Sweden, Jonathan GROTH of Denmark and Andrej GACINA of Croatia are among the experienced players directly qualified for the main draw, alongside rising talents Andre BERTELSMEIER of Germany, Milosz REDZIMSKI of Poland, Iulian CHIRITA of Romania and Thibault PORET of France. JORGIC will inevitably carry additional attention in Ljubljana. The Slovenian star reached the Round of 16 in Linz two years ago, and this time he will have the opportunity to challenge Europe’s best in front of the home crowd at Arena Stožice. The road into the main draw will already provide

Austria’s Sofia POLCANOVA heads to the 2026 European Championships in Ljubljana with the opportunity to achieve something remarkable. Having claimed the Women’s Singles title in Munich in 2022 and successfully defended it on home soil in Linz two years later, the 32-year-old is now aiming for a third consecutive European crown. For POLCANOVA, the two titles already represent the fulfilment of a lifelong ambition. Yet the prospect of adding another chapter to her European Championships story remains a powerful incentive. “I am very grateful to have won the Women’s Singles title twice in a row. With these achievements, I fulfilled one of the biggest dreams of my career. Winning a third consecutive title would mean writing history once again and achieving even more of my goals,” said POLCANOVA. Returning as the two-time defending champion inevitably brings additional expectations, but POLCANOVA is determined not to let the pressure overshadow her enjoyment of the competition. “I think it’s both. Of course, there is a lot of pressure, but at the same time, it’s also a joy to play because I’ve already won the title twice. I try not to put too much meaning into it and instead focus on improving my game and enjoying the moment, even though that’s not always easy.” Her European Championships record extends well beyond the two Singles titles. In Munich, she also won Women’s Doubles gold and Mixed Doubles bronze, before adding silver medals in both Women’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles in Linz. At the Europe Top 16, she collected silver in 2023 and 2024, alongside bronze medals in 2019, 2020 and 2022. POLCANOVA also enjoyed success on the world stage, winning Women’s Doubles silver at the 2025 World Championships in Doha. Maintaining such a high level over several seasons has required constant adjustments, both technically and mentally. “I feel like I’ve had to evolve time after time in every aspect of my game, but also in my mental approach to table tennis. People change with time, grow up and of course, I’ve changed as well. I try to focus on myself and on becoming the best version of myself when it matters most.” The challenge awaiting her in Ljubljana could be particularly demanding. With established stars and an emerging generation of talented players competing for the title, POLCANOVA expects one of the strongest European Championships in recent years. “The competition at these European Championships is very strong. For me personally, it’s perhaps the strongest field I’ve seen in the last four years. There are a lot of experienced players with great careers, but also many young players who are already playing at a very high level.” Despite everything she has achieved, POLCANOVA admits that finding fresh motivation after reaching major career goals is not always straightforward. However, her passion for table tennis continues to drive her forward. “When I first started playing table tennis, I never imagined that I would achieve so much. Of course, I had my dreams, but to have actually won so much is still a little crazy for me personally. Everyone has different dreams in life, and one of mine was definitely to win the European Championships in Singles.” “I wouldn’t be lying if I said that I also have my ups and downs, and after achieving some of these goals, it’s not always easy to motivate myself. But I always try to find new things where I can improve, both in table tennis and in myself.” And ultimately, it is the experience of competing that keeps the Austrian champion coming back for more. “What motivates me the most, though, is my love for the game. It’s the feeling when I walk into a match, the adrenaline and the emotions.” In Ljubljana, POLCANOVA will once again face Europe’s best, carrying the experience of two consecutive titles and the ambition to make European Championships history for a third time.

Sweden’s Truls MOREGARD will arrive at the 2026 European Championships in Ljubljana determined to go one step further than two years ago in Linz, where he claimed medals in both Men’s Singles and Men’s Doubles. With the European Singles crown still missing from his impressive collection, the 24-year-old is aiming for the top of the podium at Arena Stožice. MOREGARD enjoyed a successful campaign at the 2024 European Championships, winning Men’s Singles bronze and Men’s Doubles silver. Having already established himself among the world’s leading players, the Swede believes he has what it takes to challenge for gold in Ljubljana. “I had a fantastic Europeans two years ago in Linz, with medals in both the events I competed in. This year the goal is of course to claim the gold, and I strongly believe that’s achievable if I find my level,” said MOREGARD. However, the competition promises to be particularly demanding. With many of Europe’s leading players now firmly established near the top of the world rankings, MOREGARD expects a difficult battle from the opening rounds. “The level in Europe right now is scary high. I don’t know if we’ve ever had as many great players high in the world rankings. So the European Championships will obviously be a very hard and prestigious event to win, and every match will be tough from start to finish.” MOREGARD’s achievements underline his ability to perform on the biggest stages. At the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, he won two silver medals, in Men’s Singles and the Men’s Team event. He also reached the Men’s Singles final at the 2021 World Championships in Houston and added bronze in Doha in 2025, having previously won World Championships Team bronze on home soil in Halmstad in 2018. His European record includes Team gold with Sweden at the 2023 European Championships in Malmö, as well as Team bronze medals from 2019 and 2021. At the Europe Top 16, he collected silver in 2022 and 2024 and bronze in 2025, while he also helped Sweden secure Team silver at the 2023 European Games. Despite his experience and impressive medal collection, MOREGARD knows that success in Ljubljana will require consistency throughout the competition. “I think every part of my game needs to work in Ljubljana, as there are so many good players in Europe right now. I will have to take it one match at a time and try and find ways to win matches, and hopefully claim a few medals for Sweden.”

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.”

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.