Patrick Franziska: the German veteran with an Olympic team silver
Patrick Franziska is a German table tennis player born in 1992, a right-handed shakehand player. He won Olympic team silver at Tokyo 2020, men's doubles bronze at the 2023 World Championships and several European titles. His best ranking is No. 8.
In this article
Patrick Franziska has been a pillar of German table tennis for more than a decade. With the national team he has Olympic, World and European medals, and he is still in the world top 20. This page covers Franziska's career, titles and playing style.
Who is Patrick Franziska
Patrick Franziska was born on 11 June 1992 in Bensheim, Germany. He is right-handed and plays the shakehand grip. He is 1.90 m tall and plays for 1. FC Saarbrücken-TT in the Bundesliga. In October 2026 he is world No. 18 in singles.
Titles of Patrick Franziska
| Competition | Results |
|---|---|
| Olympics | Team silver at Tokyo 2020 |
| World Championships | Team silver in 2014 and 2018; bronze in mixed doubles in 2019 and men's doubles in 2023 |
| European Championships | Team gold in 2013, 2017, 2019 and 2021; doubles gold in 2016 |
| European Games | Team gold in 2019 and 2023; mixed doubles gold in 2019 |
| Singles | Europe Top-16 2021; WTT Feeder Düsseldorf II 2022 |
| Ranking | Career high: No. 8, in January 2025 |
Medals with Germany
At Tokyo 2020 Franziska was part of the German team that won silver in the men's team event. At the Worlds he won team silver in 2014 and 2018 and mixed doubles bronze in 2019. In 2023 he took men's doubles bronze alongside Dimitrij Ovtcharov.
Singles and recent form
In singles he won the Europe Top-16 in 2021, beating Marcos Freitas 4-1. In 2024 he was runner-up at the first Saudi Smash, knocking out Fan Zhendong and losing only in the final to Wang Chuqin. His career-high ranking, No. 8, came in January 2025. See the table tennis world ranking and the history of table tennis in Europe.
Playing style
Franziska is a tall right-handed shakehand player. What counts most in his career:
- Shakehand grip and a 1.90 m frame, an unusual reach on tour. See grips.
- Doubles and team experience, with medals alongside Dimitrij Ovtcharov and the German national team.
- Ability to beat the best, as he showed by knocking out Fan Zhendong at the Saudi Smash. More on playing styles.
Recent results on the tour
| Year | Wins | Losses |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 11 | 15 |
| Total | 11 | 15 |
| W | WTT Champions Montpellier 2026 2026-10-30 | Men's singles Round of 16 | Patrick Franziska GER vs Elias Ranefur SWE 3-1 12-10, 11-4, 8-11, 11-8 |
| W | WTT Champions Montpellier 2026 2026-10-28 | Men's singles Round of 32 | Alexis Lebrun FRA vs Patrick Franziska GER 2-3 11-9, 11-4, 12-14, 7-11, 9-11 |
| L | China Smash 2026 2026-10-08 | Men's singles Round of 16 | Patrick Franziska GER vs Hugo Calderano BRA 0-3 2-11, 5-11, 7-11 |
| W | China Smash 2026 2026-10-06 | Men's singles Round of 32 | Patrick Franziska GER vs Yuan Licen CHN 3-1 4-11, 11-7, 11-4, 11-5 |
| W | China Smash 2026 2026-10-04 | Men's singles Round of 64 | Anders Lind DEN vs Patrick Franziska GER 1-3 3-11, 11-7, 12-14, 3-11 |
| L | China Smash 2026 2026-10-04 | Mixed doubles Round of 32 | Patrick Franziska / Adriana Diaz GER/PUR vs Yuan Licen / Wang Yidi CHN 2-3 11-5, 3-11, 4-11, 12-10, 11-13 |
| L | WTT Star Contender Astana 2026 - President’s Cup 2026-09-18 | Men's singles Round of 32 | Patrick Franziska GER vs Darius Movileanu ROU 2-3 4-11, 11-2, 13-11, 10-12, 5-11 |
| L | WTT Star Contender Astana 2026 - President’s Cup 2026-09-17 | Men's doubles Round of 16 | Patrick Franziska / Dimitrij Ovtcharov GER vs Zhou Qihao / Xue Fei CHN 1-3 5-11, 4-11, 11-9, 6-11 |
Source: WTT official results. Updated October 31, 2026. worldtabletennis.com
Frequently asked questions
Who is Patrick Franziska?
He is a German player born in 1992, right-handed, shakehand, and Olympic team silver medallist at Tokyo 2020.
What is Patrick Franziska's highest ranking?
World No. 8, in January 2025. In October 2026 he is No. 18.
Did Franziska win an Olympic medal?
Yes, silver in the men's team event at Tokyo 2020, with Germany.
Is Franziska left-handed?
No. He is right-handed and uses the shakehand grip.