Alexis Lebrun, a 21-year-old table tennis player ranked ninth in the world, has publicly apologized to his fans after sustaining a hand injury due to an emotional outburst following his defeat in the finals of the French Championships.

In a video shared on social media on March 26, Lebrun expressed regret over the incident, admitting, "I did not manage my emotions well and, in a fit of anger, I injured my hand.

I regret it immensely."

The injury occurred after a tightly contested match where Lebrun lost to his younger brother, Félix, 18, with a score of 4-3. The moment that led to his injury came shortly after the match when the siblings shared a brief embrace.

In the video, Lebrun noted, "I will have to be away from the table for a little while and will need to focus on my rehabilitation." The exact nature of the injury has not been disclosed, but it has caused him to withdraw from upcoming competitions.

"We will reassess in a month for the upcoming steps," stated Nathanaël Molin, Lebrun's coach.

Lebrun was initially set to compete at the WTT Champions event in Incheon, South Korea, scheduled for April 1-6, but will now miss this opportunity.

Despite this setback, he has been selected to participate in the upcoming World Individual Championships, taking place from May 17-25 in Qatar, as announced by the French Table Tennis Federation.

Lebrun concluded his video by reflecting on the incident, saying, "It will certainly serve as a lesson for me.

I will work on controlling my emotions better for future matches, and I hope to return even stronger."