The ninth edition of the French Open is around the corner, and the LED Saber world is coming to Paris on June 20 and 21 for what promises to be the hardest LED Saber tournament ever. 80 fighters, more than 10 clubs, the peak event of the season will be there and will crown a new winner, as the reigning champion, Amaury Mouhtajjib, in a sabbatical year from competition, will be co-hosting the stream this year.
Dive in with Adrien, Head of Saber Tour and Saber Tour number 5, and Arthur, Saber Tour Sport Director and Saber Tour number 3, to discuss the ones to watch for the competition!
Aiming for the Title
In our opinion, there are 5 fighters we see having a real shot at the title!
Favorite
Sébastien Berard is probably the only favorite of the French Open. He wants to reclaim his throne more than anything else. Winner of the 2024 edition and winner of multiple editions before the establishment of the Saber Tour in 2023, Sébastien is currently the best fighter of the Saber Tour, with 16 titles out of 18 competitions and a Grand Slam under his belt on the season 2024/2025, where he won every competition he participated in between the Finals 2024 and the Finals 2025!
Last year, he was defeated for the first time in 11 consecutive competitions by François Ducrohet, in the quarter finals.
Underdogs
Tailing him is last year finalist and Saber Tour number 2, Jérémie Pinquier. Elected Saber Talk’s Fighter of the Year 2025, Jérémie had an impressive year, being finalist in the 2 Challengers of this season (UK Open in November and Breizh Open in March), even pushing Sébastien to sudden death in Rennes.
While Jérémie had an irregular season, ranking 11 in Open Nec Mergitur in September and 17 in Open 95, he is always an opponent to consider when the stakes are rising!
The second underdog for the title is Arthur Gautier, Saber Tour number 3. Arthur is on an impressive medal streak, being top 3 in the 9 latest competitions he participated in, and successfully defending his title during the Open 95 in February. With 18 medals to his track record, he is currently the most medalled fighter of the Saber Tour, with 2 more medals than Sébastien.
He lost last year against Amaury by 2 points and is back this year to claim the most prestigious title of the Saber Tour!
After a mixed 2024-2025 season and starting the season injured, Adrien Koch Forbin is coming back strong! He medalled in UK Open 2025 though still injured, besting François, and then he brilliantly reached the final during the Saber Tour Finals, going toe to toe against Sébastien in this match! Since then, he medalled in Open 95 and won his second title after the Open 77, in Nice, where he did not doubt at any moment! In Lyon, he reached his second consecutive final, but lost to François.
His powerful fighting style and relentless mindset make him someone with a real shot at the title!
Finally, the latest underdog and fighter with a real shot at the title is François Ducrohet. In his flashy outfit, that won him Saber Talk’s Best Outfit 2025, you won’t miss him. Historically number 4 of the Saber Tour, and last year ranked 4 of the French Open after defeating Sébastien in quarter finals, François had a consistent season, reaching the final for the first time in the Open 95, and finishing 3rd in the Open Nec Mergitur! In Lyon, he claimed his first Saber Tour title by completely dominating the competition at the first Open des Gaules!
Speed and precision are his weapons and he is hungry for victory!
Eyes set on the Top 8
In addition to the 5 fighters mentioned above, the fighters below are expected to reach the Top 8, or at least they have a real shot at it.
Favorites
Calling himself the “Silent Worker”, Aurel Amegah is a fighter to be reckoned with for the top 8. Since April 2025, he has missed the top 8 in only one competition out of 9, allowing him to be ranked Saber Tour number 6! In the same time, he reached the 3rd spot of the podium twice at the Riviera Open in Nice!
His consistency and his hard work make him a really serious contender for reaching the top 8 this year again, after 2025 where he fell against Arthur in a heated match!
The other Top 8 favorite is Saber Tour’s very own viking, Fabrice Pedrot. Even though injuries prevented him from showing his full potential during the season, he is a fighter whose techniques and physical abilities are always impressive to see and very efficient! Currently ranked Saber Tour number 8, he lost last year in a really close match against Amaury, who went on to win the title. Anyone who underestimates him is taking an incommensurate risk!
Underdogs
More than underdogs, these fighters have shown impressive results, this year or in the past and have a chance of getting to the Top 8, if they manage to avoid other bigger fish before!
First of them is Guillaume Pevee, Belgium’s pride. After not being able to compete for a year, because he was busy performing in plays such as the Lion King (Pumba, Scar) or La Cage aux Folles, Guillaume is coming back for the French Open and his eyes are set on victory! The efficiency of his style is impressive to see, and the only question will be: does he have what it takes to reach the Top 8 after a year without competing and starting the competition as Saber Tour number 38?
In any case, what is sure is that Guillaume, out of 12 competitions, finished 4 times 4th, was 3rd in French Open 2023 and was back to back finalist in Open 95 and Riviera Open 2025!
Another strong contender for Top 8 is the pharaoh of the Saber Tour, Mickael Khalil. His unique fighting style, mixing unpredictable movement with excellent rhythm, fast attacks and high jumps, made him win Saber Talk’s Most Entertaining Fighter 2025! He medalled for the first time at Open 95 2026, where he was bested by François in semi finals.
Always close to Top 8, Mickael is honing his moves to reach the Top 8 in this year’s French Open, for the first time since 2023!
If you see a black and white flag waving in the crowd of the French Open, don’t be surprised! It is Brittany supporting their strongest fighter, Saber Tour number 6, Pierre-Jean Tanguille! This season, Pierre-Jean has proved he was back on the front of the Saber Tour scene, with a beautiful bronze medal at home for the Breizh Open, which rewarded two consecutive Top 8 at the Saber Tour Finals and at the UK Open! His hard work paid off at last and it is certain that he has a clear shot at reaching the quarter finals, after finishing 9 in both 2024 and 2025!
Not the most flashing style, but Anthony Beauvois is a fighter who knows how to defend and how to punish his opponents! After a hard start this season, Anthony has worked tirelessly. It paid off first in the Saber Tour Finals, where he was one point away from doing the come back against Fabrice Pedrot, and afterwards, he reached Top 8 in Open 95 and in Breizh Open, before reaching the semi finals for the first time in Nice, in the Riviera Open, where he pulled off prestigious victories against Fabrice Pedrot, and Alexis Amegah! His recent results made him climb the ranking, currently being Saber Tour number 9!
Be on the lookout for his silver hair and orange saber, because he will definitely surprise you!
Long time fighter of the Saber Tour, Oscar Baudry finally seems to perform as well as people expect him to! After falling short of the Top 8 in both the UK Open and the Open 95, he took a flashing revenge in Rennes, where he bested Aurel Amegah and reached his first Top 8 in a Saber Tour Open! Ranked Saber Tour number 18, he is aiming for a strong French Open and for the next Saber Tour Finals!
Precise, fast and efficient, Oscar is the kind of fighter that can win against all odds and seeing him Top 8 would not be a surprise!
Last, but not least, is the French Open 2023 winner, Marco Cuomo! Though injured, Marco is one hell of a fighter! Fast as lightning, precise, swift on the feet, Marco has usually hit you before you were even able to see him move! While not able to do a lot of competitions, Marco finished 10 in last year’s French Open, falling against Jeremy, the future finalist.
He is definitely a dangerous fighter and nobody wants to cross his way, as the fight will definitely be a tough one.
To the Direct Elimination and above
Fighters below missed Direct Elimination last year, sometimes by a hair, and this year, they are looking for revenge!
Last year, Alexis Leperlier, now Saber Tour number 15, failed to reach Direct Elimination, bested by a single point in the second round of pools. But rest assured that this was not the end for Alexis, merely the beginning of a new journey! He came back stronger than ever and in October, at the Open Nec Mergitur, he reached the quarter finals for the first time and went on to get a bronze medal! In London, he amazed us all with his amazing new outfit, and while he finished 17, it was enough to qualify for his first Saber Tour Finals! His great season won him 3 Saber Talk Awards for 2025: Most Sporting, Most Underrated and the Exemplar Award! In Paris, don’t let his beautiful smile fool you, as Alexis won’t stop until he wins!
Despite being Saber Tour number 26, Florian Tachot was an anomaly on his usual record. Being the first winner of the Force Academy Rennes Internal 2024, and finishing 3rd in 2025, Florian’s average ranking through the year (17.5) lets us think that he has a real chance of getting to the top 16!
We wish him the best for this ninth edition!
Another Saber Tour number 26 that missed qualification last year is Quentin Payeux. His tough second round of pools did not allow him to qualify for Direct Elimination. But since, Quentin has worked over and over, and results are showing! He pulled a clean win against Adrien Bak at Open 95 2026, making him reach the Top 16 of an Open for the first time.
And since, he never missed it again, and nearly made it to the Top 8 in Nice! Surely, this year, he will not come to Paris to lose in pools!
Beware the Kraken, as she is coming to wreck you! Marjorie Frath, Saber Tour number 37, is a fighter not to be underestimated! She is one of the hardest training fighters of the Saber Tour, and it is showing! She is precise and swift, and her blade will know how to avoid yours! The last French Open was the only time she missed Top 32 in an Open, and it is definitely a misstep that she will fix this year!
Hard work and resilience are the best way to describe Aurélien Wel. His efforts, and his will to keep working no matter what brought Aurélien to the doors of the Saber Tour Top 20, as he is Saber Tour number 23! His track record this year shows 3 top 16, in London, Cergy and Nice, and in London and Cergy, Top 8 was just a tiny bit away from his saber!
His French Open last year was hard, as he missed Direct Elimination by just three points. But this year, he’s stepping in the arena as a new fighter, and will give his opponents a hard time!
Another pride of Brittany is Elise Rondepierre, Saber Tour number 39. Her mask is hard to miss when watching a competition, and her style is as effective as her saber is shining! Since last year’s French Open, where she had a hard second round of pools, she never missed the Top 32 and has proven herself a really strong opponent, forcing top fighters to deploy extensive efforts in the matches against her!
The French Open 2026 will be the comeback of one fighter, ex-member of the Top 16, two times part of the Saber Tour Finals, Bamidélé Cédric Idossou! After stepping down due to injuries, Bamidélé Cédric will be back in force in June, aiming to claim back the spot that once was his! He never finished out of the Top 32 in any compétition, and in 2024, he finished 12 of the French Open! His comeback is something to follow as it will, for sure, be a hard fight for the people in his pools, who likely won’t be happy finding an ex-Top 16 there!
Even though Benoît Frath, Saber Tour number 35, is new to the Saber Tour, with only a year and a half of training behind him, but that did not prevent him for reaching Top 16 twice in Opens this year, in Cergy, where he bested Efflam, before falling against Arthur, and in Nice, where he was 2 points away from qualifying for the Top 8.
Since Riviera 2025, he only missed Top 32 at the French Open, where one point more would have been enough to qualify. But rest assured that he won’t fall short again this year!
Last but not least is Saber Tour number 34, Joseph Mala-Ducrohet. Don’t be fooled by his young age, Joseph is already walking in the steps of his father, François Ducrohet. In Lyon, Joseph reached the quarter finals for the first time, losing against his father in a really tight match. When you see him fight, you can see that the blood of the Ducrohets runs through his veins, and you should not underestimate him, or you will see yourself defeated in a flash! Last year was his first Open de France and he finished 59, but this year, he is coming for more!
Promising Newcomers
This year, the French Open will be welcoming some new fighters that people should be looking at because it is likely that they will be tough opponents, with a good amount of chance to get out of the pools!
First is Saber Talk’s editor in chief, William Henley. Despite his age, William is a fast, flashy fighter and in his first Saber Tour’s competition, the UK Open 2025, William proved himself to be a dangerous opponent! He has been working ever since to improve, and during UK Internal, held on May 1st, he went toe to toe with Marco Cuomo and Jacob Walker-Wilkinson, the top 2 UK fighters! Fighting William in the French Open will definitely be a challenge!
He is accompanied by his father, Dave Henley, also competing in France for the first time! In UK Open 2025, Dave proved himself to be a fighter to be reckoned with, giving a hard time to his opponents, including two Saber Tour top 8 fighters! During UK Internal, Dave was just one hit short of besting Jacob Walker-Wilkinson to reach the final against Marco Cuomo! Training with Vanguard Lightsaber Academy, Dave and William will hold high the colors of their club and country!
This year, the French Open will have the pleasure to welcome Daniele Frigieri, from Lupo Giallo! Daniele’s age is nothing compared to his skills, as he won Lupo Giallo’s internal tournament in 2025, rewarding his hard work since his beginning in the Saber Tour in Rimini during Open Azzurro 2024! He will definitely be a fighter interesting to fight and one that could prove the odds wrong!
And because wolves never hunt alone, the Lupo Giallo are coming in packs on their hunt for victory in Paris! Our latest newcomer is Francesca Ferragina, also coming to fight in France for the first time! Francesca fought for the first time in the Saber Tour during Open Azzurro 2024, and then in London, for the UK Open 2024! Finally, she ranked 4 at Lupo Giallo’s internal tournament, only losing to the two finalists! Beware the wolves in Paris in June, they will be hungrier than ever!
Photo Credits:
- Johnny Fidelin (@jo_fidelin): Sébastien Berard, Jérémie Pinquier, Arthur Gautier, Adrien Koch Forbin, François Ducrohet, Aurel Amegah, Fabrice Pedrot, Guillaume Pevée, Mickael Khalil, Pierre-Jean Tanguille, Anthony Beauvois, Marco Cuomo, Alexis Leperlier
- Mickael Devaux (@picsmickey): Benoît Frath, Marjorie Frath
- Glenn Gervot (@glenn_gervot): Elise Rondepierre
- Hugo Pfeiffer (@hugo_pfeiffer1): Bamidélé Cédric Idossou
- @lobjectif_de_gabriel: Quentin Payeux
- Stéphane Clément: Joseph Mala-Ducrohet
- No credit: Aurélien Wel, William Henley, David Henley, Daniele Frigieri, Francesa Ferragina
Saber Talk 
Leave a comment