Aurélien Canot, Media365: published on Monday 30 March 2026 at 12:56
The day after winning his first WTT Contender title in Tunis, 17-year-old Flavien Coton climbs to 21st in the world rankings. The new French table tennis star, reaching his highest ever ranking, is knocking on the door of the Top 20.
Flavien Coton, with his first title, could soon break into the Top 20 in the world rankings? The young player from the North, 27, achieved one of the best performances of the week following his victory in a WTT Contender event in Tunis, Tunisia. By securing his most significant win since his debut, the rising French table tennis star moved up five places in the updated world rankings released this Monday.
Ranked 26th before his dream week in Tunis, where he claimed the long-awaited trophy, Coton, the successor to the Lebrun brothers, narrowly avoided elimination in the 8th finals against… his doubles partner Jules Rolland (86th) – who won the first set to nil and led 2-1 in sets. Coton now holds the 21st position.
Best ranking for Coton
Coton not only achieved his highest-ever ranking but also surpassed another French player Thibault Poret (28th), pushing him to nearly 18 years old to knock on the door of the Top 20, nine spots ahead of Japanese Hiroto Shinozuka (30th) whom the new French prodigy defeated in the final on Sunday (5-11, 11-8, 11-9, 12-10, 11-7) – in five sets and 41 minutes – to succeed the likes of Fèlix Lebrun in the same city of Tunis where he won the U15 world title four years ago.
No change for the Lebrun brothers
The top French player still holds 6th place, while his brother Alexis remains 14th, and Simon Gauzy remains in 19th place. Only two spots ahead of Coton, who continues his rise. The three men were resting while the Northern player was experiencing the best week of his table tennis career in Tunis. However, this week will be different, as our top French players will be competing in the individual World Cup. Coton will surely be part of that lineup very soon.
