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Karlsson out of European Championship after injuring himself making the bed

Karlsson in action earlier this year
Karlsson in action earlier this yearTT News Agency, TT News Agency / Alamy / Profimedia

Former two-time European table tennis champion Mattias Karlsson has been ruled out of attempting to win the men's singles crown at the 2026 European Championships in Ljubljana, Slovenia, after injuring his finger while making his bed.

Karlsson, who won European doubles gold in 2022 and team gold in 2023 was scheduled to enter the singles competition in the Slovenian capital, due to get underway on 11th October, only to suffer the unfortunate domestic mishap.

"I understand that it sounds a bit comical, but it's the truth," he told reporters, seeing the funny side of the situation.

The finger was bent in the wrong direction after getting caught between the mattress and headboard, causing a "drop finger", also known as a "mallet finger". It's an injury that can can occur in some team sports, yet Karlsson was relieved to discover his bed-making story was not a unique one.

"When I googled it, it said it's quite common in volleyball and handball, but in my defence, it actually also says it can happen when making the bed," he shared.

The misfortune means the 35-year-old will not have the chance to improve on his tally of two European singles silver medals, won in 2020 and 2022.

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