Zhao Xintong Predicts Snooker’s Top 16 Will Be Dominated by China Within Two Years

Reigning world champion Zhao Xintong will face either Zhang Anda this afternoon as he continues his bid to become a two-time UK Champion at the Barbican in York.

It has been a whirlwind 12 months for the 28-year-old. 

Last year, Xintong made it to this tournament through the preliminary qualifying rounds, having impressed on the World Snooker Tour’s subsidiary Q Tour. 

At the time, he was without a professional tour after serving a 30-month ban for match-fixing offences.

Since then, his career has soared. 

Xintong not only qualified for this year’s World Snooker Championship but also defeated Mark Williams in the final, becoming the first Asian player, and the first amateur to lift the world title.

Fame Comes with Pressure

After an impressive 6-1 victory over Long Zehuang in the last 32, we spoke to Xintong about how much his life has changed in the seven months since becoming the first Chinese world snooker champion.

The champion admitted that his personal life has transformed dramatically, as everyone in China now knows him.

While he enjoys the attention, it has brought added pressure. Xintong can no longer enter or leave a Chinese airport without being surrounded by fans wanting selfies, something he didn’t have to deal with before.

“A big difference. When I’m back in China everybody knows about me,” he told SportsBoom.co.uk. 

“My first time back in China I felt a lot more pressure. And when I go to get a plane, when I leave the airport, everybody wants to take a picture. So, it adds big pressure for me, but I just need to enjoy it.”

Xintong is still learning to handle the pressures of being world champion. 

He began the 2025/26 season poorly, advancing past the second round only once in the first six tournaments. 

However, his form has improved in recent months, reaching three semi-finals and lifting the Riyadh Season Championship last month.

“Definitely I must be more nervous. But I’m starting to learn how to play with the big pressure. It’s very difficult for me,” Xintong added. 

Making Snooker History for China

Monday afternoon’s last 32 match also made history, marking the first time in a snooker Triple Crown event that all four players in a double table session were Chinese. Xintong beat Zehuang, while Xu Si faced Chinese legend Ding Junhui.

With 12 Chinese players in the last 32, the previous record was nine, set in 2020, the tournament highlights the rapid growth of snooker in China. 

Xintong believes his world title win has inspired his fellow Chinese players to believe in themselves, strengthening the national presence in the sport.

“It’s very good for our Chinese players. Chinese snooker is very strong."

"I won the world championship, and it’s given them confidence, and to help them get stronger.”

The Chinese Takeover 

Currently, five Chinese players are in the top 16 of the World Snooker Tour official rankings. 

Xintong predicts that within the next two years, the number of Chinese players in the top 16 will double, with 10 of the 16 spots held by Asians.

“I think so. Maybe in two years' time they’ll be five more.”

Earlier in the week, Ding Junhui echoed a similar message, telling us he expects China to dominate snooker’s long-term future and warning that the UK and Europe must urgently invest in youth and grassroots programmes, as China’s world-class junior facilities now far outstrip anything available at home.

Just the Beginning for Zhao 

Finally, when asked how close he is to his best, Xintong remained confident. 

Despite the pressures of being world champion, he sees this as just the beginning of his career and believes there is much more to come.

“I’ve just started; I can be better in the future,” he concluded.