Valence Alpes International Tournament Review

11th June 2026 by Robert McLean

James Robertson’s run at the Valence Alpes International came to an end this morning following a straight-sets defeat to highly rated French teenager Lenny Hubert.

Despite the final scoreline, James made a strong start to the contest and held a narrow 11-9 advantage at the mid-game interval of the opening set. However, Hubert underlined why he is regarded as one of Europe’s most promising young badminton talents, raising his level after the break to reel off a series of points and take the first set 21-15.

The second set saw the Frenchman continue to build momentum, producing a display of excellent shot-making and impressive court coverage. Hubert controlled much of the rally exchanges and ultimately secured the set 21-11 to book his place in the next round.

While the result marks the end of James’ campaign in Valence, the tournament provided another valuable opportunity to compete against high-quality international opposition. Facing one of Europe’s leading prospects offered important experience and highlighted areas to build on heading into the next phase of the season.

James will now take a short break from tournament action before returning to France for the FZ FORZA Future Series Nouvelle-Aquitaine in Pessac, which gets underway on 2nd July.