Victor Crouin defeats Dimitri Steinmann 3-0 to claim fourth consecutive European squash title

Men's championship match in Budapest

French squash player Victor Crouin won his fourth consecutive European Individual Squash Championship on Saturday, 22 August 2026, in Budapest, Hungary. The 27-year-old Marseille native, who entered the competition ranked sixth in the world rankings, defeated Switzerland's Dimitri Steinmann in straight games with a final scoreline of 11-2, 11-7, 12-10. Crouin seized command immediately during the first game, establishing an initial 7-0 lead before closing the set at 11-2. The second game remained level until 7-7, at which point Crouin produced four consecutive points to pull away and take a two-game advantage. Steinmann, the world number 20 and two years older than Crouin at 29, challenged the defending champion in the third game by moving ahead to a 9-5 lead. Crouin responded by stringing together five unanswered points to earn a match ball at 10-9, subsequently closing out the victory on his second match opportunity at 12-10.

Five consecutive finals and historical benchmarks

Saturday's victory in the Hungarian capital marked Crouin's fifth consecutive appearance in a European championship final match. His streak began in 2022, where he suffered his only loss in a continental final, followed by four straight title victories in 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026. The 2026 decider also served as a direct rematch of the 2024 European final, in which Crouin also prevailed over Steinmann to take the crown. Within French squash history, only Grégory Gaultier has achieved a higher total of European titles. Gaultier won the continental championship nine times, including a streak of five consecutive tournament victories from 2004 to 2008. The 2026 European event serves as a key competitive checkpoint two years before squash makes its debut as an official Olympic sport at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

Women's draw results and Belgian sister final

The women's singles draw in Budapest concluded with an all-Belgian final between sisters Tinne Gilis and Nele Gilis on Saturday, 22 August. Tinne Gilis, who arrived at the tournament as the two-time defending European champion, retained her title by overcoming world number 11 Nele Gilis in three close games with scores of 12-10, 11-7, 14-12. Nele Gilis had advanced to Saturday's final after French number one and world number 17 Mélissa Alves forfeited their scheduled semi-final match on Friday. Alves withdrew just prior to taking the court, which eliminated France's primary title hope in the women's competition. Tinne Gilis managed the narrow margins of the final, saving points late in the third game to secure her third consecutive European singles championship.