Flavien Coton returns to the WTT Champions in Montpellier a year after making his debut at the tournament as an invited player. The 18-year-old Frenchman arrives with a different standing after drawing wider attention at the team world championships in London in May 2026.
At the 2025 event, Coton was ranked 41st in the world and little known beyond table tennis followers. He came close to an upset in his opening match against Taiwan’s Lin Yun-ju, then ranked 11th. Coton said he had played well despite losing and now hopes to advance through the draw and spend as long as possible competing in front of the French crowd.
His first-round challenge this year is South Korea’s Jang Woo-jin, ranked 10th in the world. The match is scheduled for Wednesday, October 28, at 4:05 p.m.
Coton’s progress has included a milestone in April 2025, when he won his first senior WTT circuit tournament in the Czech Republic during the month of his 17th birthday, breaking compatriot Félix Lebrun’s record for the youngest winner. He further raised his profile at the team world championships, winning his first four matches, including a 3-0 victory over Brazil’s Hugo Calderano. In the semifinals, he led China’s Wang Chuqin, then the world No. 1, by two sets to one before losing in five.
Sources: Le Monde Sport.