Kristian Karlsson and Anton Källberg dropped a tense five-set final in the men’s doubles at the 2026 European Table Tennis Championships in Ljubljana, Slovenia, losing 2–3 to France’s Felix and Alexis Lebrun after holding a 7–5 lead in the deciding fifth set. The Swedish pair claimed the opening game 11–5 with an aggressive approach before the French brothers rallied to take the next two 11–5 and 11–8. Karlsson and Källberg leveled the contest by winning the fourth set 11–7, but the Lebrun brothers surged back in the final stretch to secure the decisive fifth set 11–8.

Silver secured after a fierce final battle against the French pair

The championship match at Ljubljana tested both pairs through swift rallies and tactical adjustments. After dominating the first game, the Swedish duo faced a sharp response from the French brothers, who applied heavy pressure with their backhand exchanges. SVT expert Jan-Ove Waldner noted during the broadcast that the French players made remarkably few unforced errors in that phase of the match. Karlsson and Källberg recovered in the fourth set with fluid combination play, but the French pair tightened their service placement and return depths in the closing points of the fifth game to close out the match.

Tough road through a miraculous quarterfinal comeback

The path to the podium required resilience earlier in the tournament. In the quarterfinals, Karlsson and Källberg faced Germany’s Qiu Dang and Benedikt Duda, overcoming a 0–2 set deficit and saving a match point before completing the turnaround. Mot det moldaviska paret Vladislav Ursu och Andrei Putuntica storspelade svenskarna och säkrade sin finalplats efter en övertygande seger i raka set med siffrorna 3–0 (11–5, 11–9, 15–13).

Heavy disappointment in the mixed zone after the narrow defeat

Speaking to reporters immediately after the match, Anton Källberg described the mood in the Swedish camp as deeply frustrating. He acknowledged that the opponents raised their level precisely when it mattered most with better serves and returns. Kristian Karlsson echoed that sentiment, noting that while the silver medal represents a strong overall tournament performance, the immediate feeling after missing out on gold was pitch black. För Kristian Karlsson innebär mästerskapets herrdubbelsilver att han nådde fantastiska tio EM-medaljer totalt under sin karriär, vilket följer på det mixed dubbel-brons han vann tidigare i turneringen tillsammans med Stina Källberg. Enorm besvikelse, säger Karlsson till SVT. Det är klart att det suger nu att förlora finalen, men ett silver är ändå fint, säger Anton Källberg. Alexis Lebrun – EM-spöke för Karlsson. När man slår en spelare på Kristians nivå tre gånger förtjänar man att åstadkomma stora saker, säger Alexis Lebrun till SVT Sport och fortsätter: Jag är så stolt över oss.

Upcoming singles semifinal test for Källberg in Ljubljana

While the doubles competition concluded with the silver medal, the championship schedule in Ljubljana continues. Anton Källberg advances to the men’s singles semifinals, where he faces Germany’s Dang Qiu. The match is scheduled for Sunday at 13.35 and will be broadcast live via SVT Play, keeping Swedish medal hopes alive on the final day of the European championships.