Chinese cue artist, Zhao Xintong, clinches the World Snooker Championship 2025 title, marking the historic moment as the first Chinese player to hold the prestigious trophy.
China's Zhao Xintong Claims Historical Snooker World Championship Victory
Last night concluded the 2025 Snooker World Championship, with 28-year-old Zhao Xintong emerging victorious over 50-year-old Mark Williams, 18-12. This remarkable triumph signifies the first time a Chinese player has taken the coveted Snooker World Championship title.
The final was dominated by Zhao from the outset, leading 7-1 at one juncture and swiftly eliminating any chance Williams had to mount a comeback. A dominant third session solidified Zhao's position, necessitating only one more frame to secure the championship. Despite Williams' four consecutive frame wins when the score had reached 17-8, it was not sufficient to wrest the title from the young Chinese player.
Zhao ultimately sealed his victory with a powerful break of 87 points in the 30th frame, earning himself the title of Snooker World Champion for the first time in his career and receiving a substantial prize money of 500,000 GBP (approximately 587,260 EUR).
Zhao's path to the World Championship was anything but easy, for during a match-fixing scandal, he was suspended for 20 months. Having returned to competitive play as an amateur, he won a staggering 111 frames to earn the championship. He defeated Jak Jones, last year's Snooker World Championship finalist, as well as seven-time World Champion Ronnie O'Sullivan and legendary player Mark Williams, ensuring he would be one of the tournament favorites.
The odds may have been in Zhao's favor, with bookmakers giving a likelihood of 12.00 for his victory prior to the tournament's start. At only 28 years old, Zhao became the youngest World Champion since 2005, successfully following in the footsteps of Shaun Murphy, who won the World Championship at 23 during that year. Moreover, he is the first Asian Snooker World Champion, as well as one of only five non-British World Champions in the history of the sport.
The aftermath of Zhao's victory has stirred controversy among snooker fans and the WST association, as Zhao started the World Championship qualification as an amateur – resulting in no ranking on the World Ranking List. This stands in contrast to his previous ninth ranking in the world prior to his suspension. With the prize money, Zhao will skyrocket to the top 16 and automatically qualify for several forthcoming tournaments. However, the WST has yet to comment on this controversial issue regarding amateur prize money and professional rankings.
With the recent concerns about the declining interest in snooker, Zhao Xintong may be the promising figure that the sport needs to regain popularity and excitement. His exceptional performance throughout the 2025 Snooker World Championship left viewers enthralled, and many anticipate him becoming the new superstar of the sport. In his post-final interview, Mark Williams echoed this sentiment, praising Zhao's achievement and prospects for the future.
As a result, the 2025/2026 snooker season is anticipated to be filled with thrilling competition, with Zhao's return to the professional tour expected to shake up tournament results in the coming months. Snooker aficionados will not have to wait long, as the new season is slated to begin as early as June.
What about the upcoming sports season, particularly football? Now that Zhao Xintong has captured the Snooker World Championship, would he consider transferring his winning spirit to the football field?
With Zhao Xintong's historical victory in snooker, one can't help but wonder: Could we see him attempt a new challenge in sports, like football, in the near future?
