Chinese Snooker Player Zhao Xintong clinches the World Snooker Championship 2025 title, marking his historical achievement as the first Chinese player to win the prestigious title.
Zhao's Historic Triumph: The Asians Take Over Snooker
The Snooker World Championship 2025 had its unexpected epic climax last night, with Zhao Xintong triumphing over the veteran Mark Williams, 18-12. This win makes history as Zhao becomes the first Chinese world champion, redefining the snooker landscape.
From day one of the final, it was clear that Zhao meant business. A thunderous 7-1 start gave the 28-year-old a commanding lead that Williams struggled to recover from. The third session proved decisive, with Zhao displaying an unmatched skillset [English Source]. Following this, he required only one more frame to capture the world title. Despite a valiant come-from-behind effort from Williams—which saw him win four frames in a row—it wasn't enough to deter Zhao. He clinched the championship with a robust break of 87 points in the 30th frame.
Securing the world title wasn't a walk in the park for Zhao. He faced numerous challenges, including a 20-month suspension stemming from a match-fixing scandal. Making a comeback from the amateur qualifiers, Zhao went on to win an impressive 111 frames en route to this prestigious title. Among those he defeated were Jak Jones, last year's finalist, and seven-time world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan.
The win has stirred controversy within the World Snooker Tour (WST) association over Zhao's future ranking on the world ranking list [English Source]. As an amateur during the World Championship, Zhao didn't have a ranking, but his prize money of 500,000 GBP grants an immediate jump into the top 16. Typically, prize money won by amateurs doesn't count towards the world ranking list. However, the WST has yet to comment on this controversy.
Zhao's winning the World Championship may signal a new era for snooker, much as Luke Littler did for darts. The sport had been facing waning interest and declining attendance, with legends expressing concerns about its future. But Zhao's impressive performance during the championship left fans awestruck. Many believe he will become the sport's new superstar.
This newfound excitement has set the stage for an upcoming 2025/2026 snooker season, as Zhao, who missed the previous two seasons due to his suspension, enters the fray. Snooker aficionados won't have to wait long for this spectacle, as the new season is set to kick off as early as June.
Translation: He faced monstrous odds, but Zhao Xintong smashed his way to stardom.
Source: WST (@worldsnookertour)
What about football? Can we talk about how Zhao's victory in snooker might inspire a new generation of Asian sports stars, perhaps in football too?
Inspired by Zhao's triumph, might we see the rise of the first Asian football world champion in the near future?
