Chinese snooker on cue for global dominance

In the narrow backstage corridor of snooker's most storied arena, the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, an unusual scene unfolded during the 2026 World Snooker Championship as three Chinese players from different generations prepared for another night on the sport's biggest stage.

Ding Junhui, 39, the pioneer of Chinese snooker, Zhao Xintong, 29, the then defending world champion, and Wu Yize, 22, one of the sport's rising stars, stood side by side in silence, waiting to walk out.

A backstage photograph captured the moment. It quickly resonated across China, where it was widely interpreted as a reflection of Chinese snooker's shift from isolated breakthroughs to generational continuity of excellence.

That belief was reinforced days later.

On May 4, Wu defeated England's Shaun Murphy 18-17 in a dramatic World Championship final. The match went to a deciding frame for the first time in more than two decades, highlighting both the tight competition at the elite level and the emergence of new contenders from China.

Under immense pressure in the final frame, Wu opted for an aggressive long shot on a red ball. The gamble paid off, shifting momentum in his favor.

"I have been trying to go for this for ages," Wu said after the match. "For the past few months, I have been living the same life. I am so happy that I could play well today."

Former world champion Murphy, a veteran of the professional circuit, acknowledged the quality of Wu's performance. "I played the best shots I could and as a snooker player that's really all you can do," he said. "I don't feel like I lost the match — he won the match."

Wu's victory marked China's second consecutive world title, following Zhao's defeat of Mark Williams 18-12 last year.

Zhao became the first Asian player to win the World Snooker Championship. Zhao's breakthrough ended more than a century of European dominance, predominantly British, at the Crucible, while Wu's win confirmed that the result was not an isolated outcome.

The 2025-26 season has so far confirmed a clear shift in the balance of power, with Chinese players chalking up tournament wins on the World Snooker Tour circuit and climbing the player rankings.

Zhao, who won four titles, was named Player of the Year and inducted into the sport's Hall of Fame. Wu received the fans' Player of the Year award, while Chang Bingyu won Breakthrough Player of the Year.

Collectively, Chinese players claimed seven titles — the strongest single-season performance in the country's history.

At the Crucible Theatre, 11 Chinese players entered the main draw of 32, the highest representation to date. Alongside established names were younger players including Fan Zhengyi, Lei Peifan and others who emerged through qualifying routes.

Inside the venue, Mandarin was increasingly heard in practice rooms and corridors, while Chinese flags appeared among traveling supporters.