Zhao Xintong
Playing Style
Zhao Xintong plays snooker at breath-taking speed. His aggressive, instinctive approach — potting balls at pace, generating positions through power rather than cautious calculation — resembles Ronnie O'Sullivan more than any other contemporary player. Like O'Sullivan, Zhao rarely settles for a safety when he can see a pot; his default setting is attack, and his break-building is explosive rather than methodical. He strings together large breaks at a rate that leaves opponents with almost no time at the table, and the sheer confidence of his shot selection makes him extraordinarily difficult to play against when he is in full flow.
His cue action is smooth and controlled despite the pace at which he plays, and his positional instincts are superb — he consistently arrives at the next ball with minimal fuss, generating opportunities that slower, more cautious players might not even attempt to create. His maximum break of 147 is evidence that his potting accuracy at pace is not achieved at the cost of precision. When on form, Zhao is the most dominant attacking player of his generation, and his performances in 2021–22, before his suspension, suggested a career of the very highest order. His 2025 World Championship triumph confirmed that promise has been fulfilled.
Career Biography
Zhao Xintong was born on 29 January 1997 in Xi'an, in the Shaanxi province of China. He came of age in a period when China was producing an extraordinary wave of snooker talent, driven by the sport's explosive growth in popularity across the country following Ding Junhui's breakthrough on the world stage in the mid-2000s. Zhao was identified as one of the most gifted of this new generation at an early age, turning professional in 2016 and making rapid progress through the rankings. His natural talent was evident from the outset — his speed of play, attacking instincts, and ability to construct large breaks from difficult positions marked him out as someone who could reach the very top of the game.
The 2021 UK Championship in York proved to be the tournament that announced Zhao Xintong to the wider snooker world. Playing with a confidence and fluency that belied his relative youth and experience, he swept through the draw and defeated Ronnie O'Sullivan in the final — becoming the first Chinese player in history to win a Triple Crown event. The victory was a landmark moment not just for Zhao personally but for Chinese snooker as a whole, and it triggered an enormous response in China, where his profile was already substantial. He followed up with several more strong performances in the 2021–22 season, rising into the world's top five and establishing himself as one of the sport's most exciting talents.
Then came the devastating blow. In 2023, Zhao was handed a 20-month ban from the World Snooker Tour after being found guilty of charges related to betting — one of ten Chinese players caught up in an investigation that shook the sport. The ban removed him from the tour at what appeared to be the peak of his powers, and there were genuine questions about whether he could return to the same level after such a lengthy absence. The suspension was professionally damaging and personally difficult, and the snooker world followed his case with a mixture of concern and anticipation.
When Zhao returned to the tour in 2024, he did so with the hunger and focus of someone who understood precisely what was at stake. He worked his way back up the rankings with a series of strong performances, demonstrating that the ban had not diminished his ability or his desire. And then, in 2025, came the ultimate vindication: Zhao Xintong won the World Snooker Championship at the Crucible Theatre, defeating Jak Jones 18-12 in the final to become the first Chinese player in history to lift the world title. It was one of the great sporting comebacks — a story of talent, adversity, redemption, and triumph that transcended the snooker world and resonated across sport globally.
Major Career Titles
| Year | Tournament | Opponent in Final | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | UK Championship | Ronnie O'Sullivan | 10–9 |
| 2022 | German Masters | Yan Bingtao | 9–4 |
| 2022 | British Open | Mark Selby | 9–7 |
| 2025 | World Championship | Jak Jones | 18–12 |
Career Centuries
Zhao Xintong's century tally of 200+ is particularly impressive when one considers that a two-year suspension removed him from competitive snooker at what would have been the most prolific period of his career. His century-making rate per frame played is amongst the highest on the current tour, a reflection of his aggressive, attacking style and his willingness to attempt ambitious break-building from difficult positions.
His maximum break of 147 confirms his place among the game's elite potters. Making a 147 in competitive play requires not just technical ability but the mental composure to execute 36 consecutive pots without a miss — a feat that many gifted players never achieve. Zhao's maximum is a testament to the completeness of his game despite his relative youth.
With his career now back on track following the 2025 World Championship triumph, and with the majority of his career still ahead of him, Zhao has every opportunity to build a century tally that will place him among the sport's all-time greats. If he can maintain the form and consistency he has shown at his best, the 500-century mark and beyond is well within reach.
At the World Championship
Zhao Xintong's Crucible record is defined by two sharply contrasting chapters. Before his suspension, he reached the semi-finals of the 2022 World Championship, defeating several top-ranked players on his way through the draw before being stopped at the last-four stage. His performances that year demonstrated clearly that he had the ability to compete with the very best over the extended format that the Crucible demands.
Then, in 2025, came the moment that defined his career. Returning to the Crucible for the first time since the events that had led to his suspension, Zhao played some exceptional snooker throughout the tournament before meeting Jak Jones in the final. He won convincingly, 18-12, becoming not just the first Chinese player to win the World Championship but the first player from outside the traditional snooker heartlands of Britain and Australia to hold the world title since the modern era began.
The reception in China was extraordinary — the victory was front-page news across the country, and the celebrations in the snooker community reflected the profound significance of the achievement. For Zhao personally, winning at the Crucible represented the completion of a journey from teenage prodigy to world champion, via a devastating suspension and a comeback that required enormous mental strength and professional dedication.
Career Highlights Videos
Watch Zhao Xintong Live
Follow the 2025 World Champion's continued journey on TV and streaming. Check the world rankings for his current position.