Zhao Xintong has become the first Asian and amateur player to win the World Snooker Championship at the Crucible, defeating three-time champion Mark Williams 18–12.
Draped in China’s flag minutes after his victory, Zhao’s triumph is being hailed as a watershed moment for both the sport and his country.
The 28-year-old’s win comes just months after returning from a 20-month suspension linked to a match-fixing scandal. Remarkably, he entered the tournament as a qualifier and is now only the third such player to ever win the championship, joining the ranks of Terry Griffiths and Shaun Murphy.
Williams called Zhao a “superstar,” while World Snooker Chairman Jason Ferguson said the win could elevate snooker to new heights in China. “He could become the most popular sporting star in the country,” Ferguson said, noting Zhao’s charisma, skill, and fluency in both Mandarin and English.
China, with over 300,000 snooker clubs and a growing passion for the sport, already celebrated a major win last year when Bai Yulu claimed the Women’s World Championship. Zhao’s win completes a national double and is expected to spark even greater investment and youth interest in snooker.
Despite top British players dominating recent years, Zhao’s dramatic rise will place him at number 11 in the world rankings and potentially shift snooker’s global balance. His victory is also being compared to the recent youth-driven surge in other sports, such as darts with Luke Littler.
“This will give Chinese children power,” Zhao said post-match. “In the future, many Chinese players can do this.”