The picturesque Swiss city of Montreux played host to four days of elite table tennis action as the 2026 CCB Europe Top 16 Cup unfolded from February 5 to 8 at the Salle Omnisport du Pierrier. When the dust settled on Sunday evening, two champions stood tall: France's Alexis Lebrun, who defended his men's title with authority, and Germany's Sabine Winter, who delivered one of the most dominant women's finals in the tournament's history.

Lebrun, 22 years old and ranked 10th in the world, arrived in Montreux as the defending champion and left no doubt about his status as Europe's finest. His path to the final included a semifinal showdown against his younger brother Felix, whom he dispatched 3-0 in a one-sided fraternal affair. The final pitted him against familiar foe Darko Jorgic of Slovenia, the 27-year-old who had won three consecutive Europe Top 16 titles from 2022 to 2024 before Lebrun ended that streak last year.

The rematch lasted just 30 minutes. Lebrun controlled the tempo from the opening rally, winning the first two games 11-6, 11-6 with clinical precision. Jorgic, ranked 15th in the world, managed to claw back the third game 11-9, briefly raising hopes of a comeback. But Lebrun slammed the door shut in the fourth game, closing out the match 11-6 to claim his second consecutive title. For Jorgic, it was a second straight final defeat at the hands of the Frenchman, a bitter pill for a player who once seemed untouchable at this event.

If Lebrun's victory was emphatic, Winter's was nothing short of historic. The German top seed arrived as the favorite and proceeded to deliver a masterclass that will be talked about for years. In the final against Romania's Bernadette Szocs, Winter was simply untouchable, winning 11-4, 11-4, 11-4 in a performance that left her opponent with no answers.

Szocs, one of the most dynamic and popular players on the European circuit, could find no way through Winter's impenetrable defense. What made Winter's triumph particularly noteworthy was her use of anti-topspin rubber, a rare and unconventional choice at the highest level of the sport. Her victory made her the first player to win a European title using anti-topspin rubber since England's John Hilton captured the European Championships crown back in 1980, a gap of 46 years.

Throughout the entire tournament, Winter dropped only a single game, underscoring her complete dominance over the field. Her tactical mastery and ability to neutralize the aggressive styles of her opponents proved to be the decisive factor in Montreux.

The Europe Top 16 Cup continues to serve as one of the continent's most prestigious invitational events, bringing together the elite of European table tennis in a compact and intense format. This year's edition delivered memorable storylines, from Lebrun's sibling semifinal to Winter's record-breaking equipment choice.

As the European season progresses, all eyes now turn to the upcoming World Championships in London, where both champions will look to carry their momentum onto the global stage. For Lebrun and Winter, Montreux was more than just a title defense and a breakthrough victory. It was a statement of intent for the year ahead.