European U19 Talents Ready for Top 10 Challenge in Antibes

Europe’s leading U19 players will gather in Antibes from 2 to 4 October for the 2026 Europe Youth Top 10, with ten Boys and ten Girls competing over three demanding days at the Azur Arena.

The U19 fields feature some of the continent’s most promising young players, several of whom have already made their mark at senior youth and Under 21 level.

Last year, France celebrated success in both U19 categories, with Nathan LAM topping the Boys standings and Nina GUO ZHENG claiming the Girls title.

Romania’s Bianca MEI-ROSU arrives in Antibes as the European Under 21 Women’s Singles champion after an impressive run in June, when she beat Poland’s Natalia BOGDANOWICZ in the quarter-final, Zuzanna WIELGOS in the semi-final and Slovenia’s Sara TOKIC in the title match. In July, she also reached the quarter-finals of the European Youth Championships U19.

France’s Alexia NODIN also enjoyed a strong season. She defeated Anna HURSEY of Wales to reach the semi-finals of the European Under 21 Championships, where she narrowly lost to TOKIC, and then went on to reach the semi-finals of the European Youth Championships U19 in July. Her compatriot Leana HOCHART reached the quarter-finals at both events, beaten by WIELGOS at the Under 21 Championships. BOGDANOWICZ, who lost to MEI-ROSU in the Under 21 quarter-finals, will also be in Antibes.

Completing the line-up are Portugal’s Julia LEAL, Poland’s Karolina HOLDA, Germany’s Koharu ITAGAKI, Czech Republic’s Veronika POLAKOVA, Belgium’s Lilou MASSART and Romania’s Alesia SFERLEA.

ITAGAKI returns to the Europe Youth Top 10 after a perfect campaign in the U15 Girls event last year, and now steps up to the U19 category for a new challenge.

France’s Nathan PILARD was the best performer of the group at the European Youth Championships U19 in July, taking the silver medal in Under 19. Bulgaria’s Yoan VELICHKOV reached the quarter-finals of the European Under 21 Championships in June, where he was stopped by Romania’s Darius MOVILEANU, and the semi-finals of the European Youth Championships U19 in July.

Aleksei SAMOKHIN also reached the U19 semi-finals, while Romania’s Robert ISTRATE and Poland’s Patryk ZYWORONEK were eliminated in the quarter-finals. Portugal’s Tiago ABIODUN reached the quarter-finals of the European Under 21 Championships in June before losing to Germany’s Wim VERDONSCHOT.

Poland’s Marcel BLASZCZYK heads the confirmed list, alongside Slovakia’s Samuel ARPAS. France will be represented by Antoine NOIRAULT, PILARD and Flavio MOURIER, while ISTRATE, ABIODUN, SAMOKHIN, VELICHKOV and ZYWORONEK complete the ten-player field.

The competition begins on Friday 2 October with the opening three rounds. Rounds four to six follow on Saturday, before the final three rounds decide the U19 titles on Sunday.

With nine matches awaiting every player, consistency across all three days will be crucial as Europe’s U19 talents battle for the two Europe Youth Top 10 crowns.

U19 – Confirmed Players

No.U19 BoysCountryU19 GirlsCountry
1Marcel BLASZCZYKPOLBianca MEI-ROSUROU
2Samuel ARPASSVKLeana HOCHARTFRA
3Antoine NOIRAULTFRAAlexia NODINFRA
4Nathan PILARDFRAJulia LEALPOR
5Robert ISTRATEROUKarolina HOLDAPOL
6Flavio MOURIERFRANatalia BOGDANOWICZPOL
7Tiago ABIODUNPORKoharu ITAGAKIGER
8Aleksei SAMOKHINRUSVeronika POLAKOVACZE
9Yoan VELICHKOVBULLilou MASSARTBEL
10Patryk ZYWORONEKPOLAlesia SFERLEAROU

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The European Table Tennis Union (ETTU) is the governing body of the sport of table tennis in Europe, and is the only authority recognized for this purpose by the International Table Tennis Federation. The ETTU deals with all matters relating to table tennis at a European level, including the development and promotion of the sport in the territories controlled by its 58 member associations, and the organization of continental table tennis competitions, including the European Championships.

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