2025 Belonged to Them: Europe’s Beach Volleyball Heroes

2025 marked a historic chapter for European Beach Volleyball. For the first time ever, European teams claimed both the men’s and women’s Beach Volleyball World Championship titles in Adelaide, underlining their dominance on the global stage. Yet the list of milestones from this year goes far beyond that achievement. Some teams achieved historic firsts for themselves and their countries, while others continued to shine and add to their medal collections, together making the season truly unforgettable. Let’s take a closer look at the European duos that stood out throughout the year.

Men’s Teams Reaching New Heights

Åhman / Hellvig (SWE)

David Åhman and Jonatan Hellvig completed their golden collection in 2025. After already winning Olympic gold in 2024 and European titles in 2022 and 2023, the Swedish duo added the final missing piece by claiming gold at the World Championships in Adelaide – Sweden’s first-ever world title in Beach Volleyball. In doing so, they also became the first men’s team in history to reach two consecutive World Championship finals.

They maintained a high level across the entire season. Åhman/Hellvig added silver at EuroBeachVolley in Düsseldorf, where they fell to Mol/Sørum in the final, and finished 2025 ranked second in the world, ex aequo with their compatriots Hölting Nilsson/Andersson, once again just behind the Norwegians.. On the Beach Pro Tour, they topped the podium at the Elite event in Ostrava and secured silver at the Elite tournament in Saquarema, reaffirming their status as one of the dominant forces.

Hölting Nilsson / Andersson (SWE)

Jacob Hölting Nilsson and Elmer Andersson emerged as the biggest sensation of the 2025 Beach Volleyball season. Aged just 20 and 19, the Swedish youngsters made a meteoric rise in the world rankings, currently sitting second ex aequo with Åhman/Hellvig. Their breakthrough year was crowned with a silver medal at the World Championships in Adelaide, where they reached the final before falling to their compatriots and Olympic champions. They became the youngest team ever to reach a World Championship final in their rookie performance.

They announced their arrival among the elite midway through the season by reaching the final of the Beach Pro Tour Elite in Gstaad. While their EuroBeachVolley campaign ended in a dramatic Round of 16 tie-break loss to Ehlers/Wickler, they quickly bounced back with gold at the Challenge event in Baden and silver at the Elite in Montreal. Fifth-place finishes in Hamburg and Newport Beach followed, before they surged back to the top of the podium by winning the Elite event in Cape Town shortly before Adelaide – a final statement in a remarkable breakout year.

Mol / Sørum (NOR)

Anders Mol and Christian Sørum reclaimed the top spot in the world rankings in 2025, finishing the year as the world’s number-one team. While their World Championship campaign ended in a surprising Round of 16 loss in a dramatic tie-break against Ehlers/Wickler, the Vikings enjoyed an otherwise outstanding season.

They regained the EuroBeachVolley crown after four years, securing their fifth European title and extending their own record. Their dominance continued on the Beach Pro Tour, winning gold at Elite events in Saquarema, Montreal, and Hamburg, while taking silver in Ostrava and bronze in Brasília. In the three remaining tournaments, they finished fifth. Despite the disappointment in Adelaide, the result does little to overshadow a year defined by consistency, multiple titles, and reaffirmation of their position atop world Beach Volleyball.

Rotar / Gauthier-Rat (FRA)

Téo Rotar and Arnaud Gauthier-Rat proved to be a perfect match in their first season together in 2025. The newly formed French duo –  21-year-old Rotar and 29-year-old Gauthier-Rat – made history in Adelaide by winning bronze at the World Championships, France’s first-ever medal at the event. They sealed the podium by defeating Olympic runners-up Ehlers/Wickler in the bronze medal match.

Their rapid rise was reflected in the world rankings, where they climbed to 14th. The pair reached their first podium as early as May, finishing third at the Beach Pro Tour Challenge in Xiamen, and added a silver medal at the Challenge event in Alanya. At EuroBeachVolley, they came close to the semifinals, finishing fifth after a tie-break loss to Boermans/de Groot. Momentum carried into the summer, with Rotar also claiming gold at the EuroBeachVolleyU22 in Baden alongside Arthur Canet. In the final stretch before Adelaide, Rotar/Gauthier-Rat reached the Round of 16 at three Elite events –  Hamburg, João Pessoa, and Rio de Janeiro – underlining the consistency of their breakthrough season.

Boermans / De Groot (NED)

Stefan Boermans and Yorick de Groot once again delivered an impressive and successful season, finishing among the world’s elite in fifth place. They enjoyed a strong start to the year, taking bronze at the Beach Pro Tour Elite in Saquarema before topping the podium just a week later in Brasília.

The Dutch pair continued their medal run with additional bronze finishes at Elite events in Gstaad, Hamburg, João Pessoa, and Rio de Janeiro. They also came close to the podium at EuroBeachVolley in Düsseldorf, narrowly losing the bronze medal match to compatriots Brouwer/Van de Velde in a tie-break. Although the World Championships in Adelaide proved less fortunate, ending with a 17th-place finish, five bronze medals and one gold on the Beach Pro Tour underlined a season marked by consistency and sustained high-level performance.

Women’s Teams Breaking New Ground

Graudina / Samoilova (LAT)

Tina Graudina and Anastasija Samoilova have shown that dedication and consistency truly pay off. Their partnership, which has lasted since 2016, and their relentless hard work culminated in their greatest achievement: a gold medal at the World Championships in Adelaide – the first-ever world title for Latvia. Their victory also marked only the second women’s world title for a European team. In Australia, the Latvian duo was virtually unstoppable, dropping just one set – in the final – on their way to winning gold, their first medal at this event.

Currently ranked 4th in the world, Graudina and Samoilova claimed two silver medals this season at the Beach Pro Tour Elite events in Ostrava and Gstaad. In most other BPT events, they consistently finished in 4th or 5th place. The same pattern followed at EuroBeachVolley in Düsseldorf, where they exited in the quarterfinals against Vieira/Chamereau. Yet, these setbacks proved valuable, serving as lessons that propelled them to their crowning achievement: becoming world champions in Adelaide, triumphing at the most prestigious event of the season.

Hladun / Lazarenko (UKR)

Maryna Hladun and Tetiana Lazarenko made history for Ukraine. By sensationally triumphing at EuroBeachVolley in Düsseldorf, they became the first-ever Ukrainian European champions. The duo demonstrated remarkable resilience and strength, prevailing in tie-breaks in both the semifinal and final to secure this historic feat. It is also worth highlighting that this was the first-ever EuroBeachVolley women’s medal for Ukraine.

Earlier this year, they delivered several strong performances, including a victory at the Beach Pro Tour Challenge Warmia Mazury – a result that helped them break into the world’s top 10. They also earned a silver medal representing Ukraine at the Beach Nations Cup and were ranked 22nd in the world at the end of the year.

Vieira / Chamereau (FRA)

Clémence Vieira and Aline Chamereau reached new milestones for themselves and for France. The 25-year-old Vieira and 29-year-old Chamereau won silver at EuroBeachVolley in Düsseldorf – a landmark achievement for their careers and France’s first medal at the event since 1999.

In 2025, they also climbed the podium at BPT Challenge events in Alanya and Warmia Mazury. They came just short of reaching the quarterfinals at Elite events in Hamburg and Rio de Janeiro and had the opportunity to compete at the World Championships in Adelaide. The duo concluded their breakthrough year ranked 16th in the world.

Müller / Tillmann (GER)

Svenja Müller and Cinja Tillmann completed the year as the second-highest-ranked European team in the world, finishing 8th in the rankings. Although the German duo could not defend their EuroBeachVolley crown, they claimed a bronze medal in Düsseldorf and enjoyed a highly successful season.

They started the year with a bronze at the BPT Elite Saquarema, followed by a silver at the Elite in Montreal, and shortly before Adelaide, they topped the podium at Elite Cape Town. In other events, they consistently reached the Round of 12 or quarterfinals, steadily strengthening their position in the world rankings. As part of the German team, they also triumphed at the Beach Nations Cup. At the World Championships in Adelaide, they finished 17th after falling to Orsi Toth/Gottardi, but overall, Müller and Tillmann once again proved their status among the world’s elite.

Orsi Toth / Gottardi (ITA)

Réka Orsi Tóth and Valentina Gottardi impressed by maintaining a high level throughout the entire year, finishing #9 in the world rankings. Interestingly, the number “5” defined their season – they ended seven tournaments in 5th place – but their performances proved they are not only determined but also capable of achieving even more. The highlight of the year came at BPT Elite Hamburg, where 26-year-old Orsi Tóth and 23-year-old Gottardi claimed their first gold medal, making the season even more remarkable.

Despite multiple 5th-place finishes in BPT events (Saquarema, Brasília, Ostrava, Rio, Cape Town), they came just a step away from reaching the EuroBeachVolley final four, losing in the quarterfinals to Müller/Tillmann in a tie-break. At the World Championships, they again showcased their talent, and although eliminated in the quarterfinals by Thamela/Victoria, finishing 5th was a significant achievement for the duo.

Young and Promising Shaping the Future

In 2025, young Beach Volleyball players also competed for medals on the global stage at the age-group World Championships, delivering several strong performances by European teams. At the U21 World Championships in Mexico, Latvia’s Gustavs Auzins and Kristians Fokerots claimed gold after defeating Poland’s Szymon Beta and Artem Besarab in the final. Another Polish duo, Szymon Pietraszek and Jakub Krzemiński, finished in fourth place. The women’s tournament saw no European team on the podium, with Hungary’s Chiara Honti-Majoros and Stefánia Flóra Kun finishing fourth after a tie-break loss in the bronze-medal match.

The U18 World Championships in Doha proved even more successful for Europe. In the men’s competition, only one non-European team reached the quarterfinals, and the battle for medals became an all-European affair. Historic gold for Norway was eventually claimed by Ludvig Sødal Ringøen and Sebastian Lyngaas Kjemperud, who defeated Germany’s Jonatan Bungert and Filo Wüst in the final. Bronze went to Italy’s Riccardo Santomassimo and Marco Di Felice, who upset Türkiye’s Barış Güldalı and Polat Kemal Eser. The women’s U18 event was slightly less successful for Europe, as the final featured two teams from the United States. However, the bronze medal match was an all-European clash between Belgium’s Lente Thant and Simone Vervloet and the Netherlands’ Esmée Radstake and Jara Both, with Thant/Vervloet emerging victorious.

Overall, both the U21 and U18 World Championships confirmed that Europe can rely on a talented and promising new generation of Beach Volleyball players, many of whom are ready to make the step onto the sport’s biggest stages.