Zhao Xintong is set to become snooker’s new world number one after beating Neil Robertson 5-1 at the Wuhan Open, with the result confirming a rare and significant change at the top of the rankings.
The 2025 world champion will become only the second player from China to reach world number one, and the 13th player overall to hold the position. With Judd Trump’s two-year reign at the summit coming to an end, Zhao’s rise marks one of the sport’s most notable ranking shifts in recent years.
A dream he has now turned into reality
Zhao said becoming world number one had always been part of his ambition. He admitted he had not yet fully taken it in, saying that he probably had not had the chance to savour it properly yet, and expected the feeling to grow after the tournament.
That is what makes this such a significant moment. For a player of Zhao’s quality, the ranking is not just about status. It is also recognition of consistency at the very top of the sport, and a reward for the kind of run that has now taken him to the sport’s highest position.
He described the achievement as one of the dreams of his youth, but also said that even after winning ranking titles and settling mentally, he does not see world number one as his ultimate goal. Still, he was clear that it is a rare and special honour for any professional player.
What comes next for Zhao?
The scale of the occasion is underlined by the fact that Zhao is still in contention at the Wuhan Open. After his win over Neil Robertson, he was due to face Xiao Guodong in the semi-finals.
Elsewhere in the draw, Ronnie O'Sullivan beat Mark Selby 5-3 and was due to meet Chang Bingyu in the last four. O'Sullivan had already made it clear how highly he rates the younger Chinese players, saying that while Zhao Xintong and Wu Yize are both part of the conversation, this player is right up with them and may even be favourite to win the tournament.
For Zhao, though, the headline is already secure. A 5-1 win has taken him to the brink of becoming world number one, and it places him among a very small group of players to reach the top of the rankings.
