The Lebrun brothers return to competition in Beijing, to the great delight of their Chinese fans

The two French table tennis champions are taking part in the WTT China Smash 2024 which starts on Thursday in China, where they are very popular.

It’s the big return to competition for the Lebrun brothers after the Olympic Games. The two French table tennis champions are taking part in the WTT China Smash 2024 which starts on Thursday, September 26 in Beijing, China. Alexis and Félix will defend their status as Olympic medalists for the first time. And the two brothers are arriving in a country where they are very popular. The Chinese, who are fans of table tennis, have become passionate about the two Frenchmen.

In the large gymnasium of Chaoyang district, ping-pong fans train like every morning. Everyone knows the Lebrun brothers. There is a mixture of admiration and fascination: “They play really well, their techniques are very advanced. Felix in particular has a way of holding the racket like a penholder on the serve, it’s a style of play that is common in China. We appreciate their style, their technique and their combativeness. In China, we call them ‘the glasses brothers’, because here it is rare to play ping-pong with glasses.”

When it comes to sports, the Chinese, who are very nationalistic, defend their athletes first, but Alexis and Félix seem to be the exception. Even if the two brothers clearly represent a danger to Chinese supremacy in ping-pong: “China is the big country of ping-pong. But it is good to see that there are also foreign players who have such a level and who can promote ping-pong in the world.”

The Chinese are particularly fans of the two Frenchmen. “I think they are adorable, they are very relaxed and laid back when they arrive at the competition, not like the Chinese players who remain discreet”said one of them. “The two brothers, Alexis Lebrun and Felix Lebrun, we love you”adds another.

The Lebrun brothers adapted to their Chinese popularity by opening two accounts on Weibo, the Chinese X, a year ago. Félix already has 446,000 followers, almost twice as many as Kylian Mbappé. On Tuesday, the two brothers published a photo for their Chinese fans to announce their arrival in Beijing. Hundreds of Internet users reacted with welcome messages.

Tickets for the French team’s first matches at the Beijing tournament sold out in minutes. Félix and Alexis Lebrun will also play together in doubles, with the status of number 2 seed in the tournament. After this Beijing Smash which ends on Sunday, October 6, the Lebrun brothers will aim for the European Championships, from October 15 to 20 in Linz, Austria.