Zhao Xintong, the Crucible's latest sensation, has been predicted to secure multi-million pound deals following his historic World Snooker Championship win. The Chinese snooker player, who had previously faced a 20-month suspension due to involvement in a match-fixing scandal, arrived in Sheffield as an amateur but quickly dispelled any doubts about his prowess. At the age of 28, Zhao powered through the tournament, defeating Chris Wakelin and then delivering a stunning performance against snooker legend Ronnie O'Sullivan in the semi-finals.
His final showdown with Mark Williams was eagerly anticipated, and Zhao did not disappoint his fans. Leading 17-8 going into the final evening session, he clinched the title with an 18-12 victory over Williams, earning himself a cool £500,000. With this win, Zhao not only became the first Asian world champion but also caught the eye of financial experts who foresee a lucrative future for him.
Professor Rob Wilson, a sports finance expert, spoke with Ace Odds about the significant financial implications of Zhao's triumph. "Winning the World Snooker Championship in itself will open the door to a completely different financial universe for Zhao Xintong," Wilson said. "The title itself comes with half a million pounds worth of prize money. That's immediate," reports the Express.
"The bigger opportunity, of course, for him will be endorsement, sponsorships, and the exhibition circuit, especially given his marketability in China. We know that the Chinese population are avid followers of snooker, and of course, it is a major competition that's followed over in the Far East. We've seen players like Ding Junhui being able to tap into that domestic audience of essentially hundreds of millions. So if Zhao can leverage that sort of audience, you're looking at multi-million pound commercial deals across clothing, apparel, and equipment. They also do branded academies. There's one in Sheffield for Ding. Then, of course, there are media appearances, but with anything that I talk about in the context of sporting success, you know it's a big but. Whether he becomes the richest player of all time will depend on that sustained success that he will need over the next decade or so," Wilson stated.
Wilson then explored the scenario of Zhao outearning some of the sport’s icons in terms of career prize money, with his semi-final opponent, The Rocket, included in the discussion. "One title simply isn't enough. He'll need to build that legacy over the next five to 10 years at least to give him a platform with consistent top-tier performances," stated Wilson. "If he's able to do that, you could probably realistically expect him to surpass even players like Ronnie O'Sullivan. O'Sullivan is on £15-20million career earnings when you factor in both prize money and off the table income. So it's a huge opportunity for Zhao, the first step in what could be a seriously lucrative financial journey."
Zhao Xintong received a hero's welcome upon his return to China after being crowned World Snooker Champion earlier this week, despite still being banned from playing in his homeland. Just three days after his emphatic 18-12 final victory over Mark Williams in Sheffield, the 28-year-old was greeted by cheers and celebratory signs upon landing at Shenzhen Bao'an Airport. Swathes of people jostled to catch a glimpse or take a photo of the champion, which speaks volumes about the true scale of the support he has back in his home country.
The euphoric scenes came after Zhao made history as the first amateur to become world champion, as well as the only Asian player to have clinched a title at the Crucible Theatre. Yet, despite his new-found hero status, regulations from the Chinese Billiards and Snooker Association (CBSA) still prevent him from playing in front of his home supporters. In January 2023, Zhao received a ban due to his role in a match-fixing scandal that included nine other Chinese players.
While the investigation cleared him of fixing matches himself, he admitted to being aware of another player rigging two games and also betting on matches. He originally received a 30-month ban from the World Snooker Tour which was later reduced to 20 months. However, the CBSA, which had issued its own 30-month ban, upheld its original decision, meaning Zhao is still unable to compete in China.
"The Chinese Billiards and Snooker Association has now confirmed that their sanction only applies to mainland China and that Zhao Xintong is permitted to play in events outside of China from the end of his WPBSA suspension," their statement read. From July 1, 2025, Zhao will be able to compete in tournaments on home soil. He wasn’t allowed to take part in this year's World Open at the Yushan Sport Centre, which was won by John Higgins.
Following his Crucible triumph, the 2021 UK Championship winner has opened up about his struggles in dealing with his exile, even though it gave him more opportunities to hone his skills at the practice table. And despite the stance of the Chinese authorities, Xintong, who lives just a 10-minute walk from the Crucible, voiced his love for his homeland when arriving at the airport. Passing through a sea of adoring fans, he announced his aim of winning a Triple Crown and declared: "I'm home," before adding: “This will always be my home."
Chain smoking under the fluorescent lights of a cavernous billiards hall in Beijing, Brother Yuan can’t stop smiling. The previous day, along with 150 million other people across China, he had been at home watching the snooker world championships final. Now he’s with his fellow cue-heads, celebrating the win of China’s first snooker world champion, Zhao Xintong. "He’s a great role model for young people in China," Yuan, 55, says of the generation Z upstart who on Monday claimed snooker’s top prize. "He’s bringing the excitement back."
It’s a far cry from the 1980s when Yuan was a young player in Beijing with dreams of going professional. The industry wasn’t well developed and the money wasn’t there. He remembers vividly the 1987 Kent Cup, a snooker tournament held in Beijing. "All seven of the world’s top-ranked players came. Willie Thorne, Jimmy White, Steve Davis … At that time, snooker was only played in Zhongshan Park in Beijing. No other places in the city had it, and most people didn’t even know how to play," Yuan says. "I recall two Chinese players participated, but they clearly had very little idea how to play snooker. It was actually quite funny to watch."
Nowadays, Chinese snooker is no laughing matter. Zhao’s victory on Monday completed his comeback from a 20-month suspension for involvement in a match-fixing ring that has been described as the biggest scandal in snooker’s history. Snooker’s governing body charged 10 Chinese players with match-fixing offences in January 2023 and handed out bans ranging from 20 months to a lifetime. Zhao did not directly throw a match but he accepted charges of being party to another player fixing two games and betting on matches himself. His display of genuine remorse since the scandal was exposed and his rise to the top from being relegated to the amateur tour as part of his punishment has won him legions of fans in China and beyond.
Arriving at Shenzhen Bao’an airport on Thursday, a slightly bewildered Zhao was greeted by hordes of fans thrusting flowers into his arms and reporters thrusting microphones. "Thanks again everyone for your support. I’ll start again and take it slow, and continue to achieve better results in snooker," Zhao said. Zhao hails from Shenzhen, a city on the border with Hong Kong that is known for having the most developed snooker culture in China, thanks in part to its proximity to the former British colony.
In the 1990s, as people flocked to the city during the era of reform and opening up in which China underwent rapid economic development, snooker halls “sprang up like mushrooms after rain,” according to a Shenzhen state media article published this week to celebrate Zhao’s win. Ding Juhui, China’s most successful snooker player before Zhao came on to the scene, moved to Shenzhen at a young age to train owing to the city’s better snooker opportunities, the article said. Since the 1990s, snooker has boomed in popularity across the country, and Zhao’s victory is expected to push it even higher. An estimated 50 million people play the sport and China has 300,000 snooker halls, up from 34,000 in 2005.
Sun Baochen opened KO Snooker Bar in Beijing’s upmarket Sanlitun district in February. He’s hoping to capitalise on any new Zhao-led boom. Already he spends up to 16 hours a day at the club, which is open around the clock. Business has been “extremely busy,” he says, although on a Tuesday evening there are only about a dozen customers. Zhao’s victory will “definitely” boost the footfall, Sun says. "My whole WeChat Moments feed was talking about it. People were going crazy. It’s something the whole country is proud of." Yuan beams: "It’s going to create a huge wave of interest. And there are a lot of people in China."
