Chinese prodigy Zhao Xintong clinches the World Snooker Championship 2025 title, marking a historical first for China in the sport.
Zhao Xintong Nails the 2025 Snooker World Championship Title
Last night, the 2025 Snooker World Championship final came to a thrilling close with Zhao Xintong becoming the streamroller champion. The 28-year-old secured a hard-fought victory against Mark Williams, 50, claiming a 18-12 win in a nail-biting final.
Zhao demonstrated unstoppable form from the start, racing to a 7-1 lead and leaving little hope for Mark to catch up. After a dominating third session [Link in English], Zhao was just one frame away from the championship. However, Mark staged a late comeback, winning four consecutive frames when the score was 17-8.
Despite Mark's valiant effort, it wasn't enough as Zhao finished off the 30th frame with a powerful break of 87 points, earning the title of Snooker World Champion for the first time. He also took home a sizable prize of 500,000 GBP (approximately 587,260 EUR).
Spotlight on Zhao's Marvelous Journey
Zhao's path to the World Championship title was far from a walk in the park.enburg In 2022, he was handed a 20-month ban for his involvement in a match-fixing scandal. Upon returning following his ban, Zhao began the 2025 Snooker World Championship as an amateur, qualifying through the grueling qualification rounds.
Including the qualification, Zhao racked up 111 frames to claim the prestigious title. He defeated Jak Jones, 31, who made it to the Snooker World Championship final last year, as well as seven-time World Champion Ronnie O'Sullivan, 49, and Mark Williams himself.
Although he started as an amateur in the World Championship, Zhao impressed everyone, being one of the favorites for this year's competition. Before the tournament, bookmakers offered odds of 12.00 for his victory.
At 28 years old, Zhao made history by becoming the youngest World Champion since 2005, surpassing Shaun Murphy, who won the Championship at the age of 23. He is the first Asian Snooker World Champion and one of only five non-British World Champions.
Controversy over Zhao's World Ranking Position
Zhao's victory has stirred debate among fans and the World Snooker Tour (WST) association. As Zhao started the World Championship qualification as an amateur, he had no ranking on the World Ranking. Before his ban, he was ranked ninth in the world.
With the sizeable prize money, Zhao will immediately catapult himself into the top 16 and qualify automatically for several tournaments in the next season. However, this move has caused a stir, as tournament prize money for amateurs doesn't usually influence the World Ranking. The WST has yet to comment on this issue.
Prior to the championship, there were worries about the sport of snooker, with talk of waning interest and declining attendance. Snooker legend Stephen Hendry, 56, even stated that snooker needed its own Luke Littler [Link in English] to elevate the sport.
Could Zhao Xintong be the player who causes a similar stir in snooker as Luke Littler did in darts? Zhao stunned the audience with his exceptional play throughout the championship, leaving many spectators stunned and captivated. Many fans and professionals believe he will become the new star of the sport.
Mark Williams, the runner-up in the Snooker World Championship 2025, shared these views in an interview: "With his win, Zhao could herald significant change for the sport, opening up new possibilities everywhere. We have a new superstar. That's what snooker needs, someone like him who can do it. He will make a fantastic world champion. He's probably the best potter I've ever seen, with nothing but admiration for him."- Mark Williams, Snooker World Championship 2025 finalist, WST**
Now, the 2025/2026 snooker season is shaping up to be one for the books. After missing out on the World Snooker Tour for the past two seasons due to his suspension, Zhao's dominance could shake up the upcoming tournaments.
With the new season expected to kick off as early as June, snooker enthusiasts won't have to wait long to witness the thrilling action.
What sport has the potential to witness a meteoric rise, following Zhao Xintong's victory in the 2025 Snooker World Championship?
Remembering Mark Williams' words, do you think football could garner the same excitement as snooker with a gifted young talent like Zhao Xintong?
