When Zhao Xintong became China’s first world snooker champion, life changed irreversibly for him – and the sport in his homeland.
Zhao, 28, made snooker history in May when he completed an incredible nine-match winning run from the opening qualifying round all the way to the final, beating Mark Williams 18-12 at the Crucible in Sheffield to achieve the sport’s ultimate glory.
“I’m trying to learn and now being world champion is very different, you need to do more things,” said Zhao after his 6-1 win on Monday over compatriot Long Zehuang in the opening round of the UK Championship.
“There’s a lot of pressure and that’s a big problem for me so I’m learning how to enjoy the table and when I win any match, I’m just very happy.
“This is my first time to be famous and I’m very busy. I don’t have time to practise but now I’m trying to get the balance and trying to get better. I’m not sure this is all real!”
There is no wonder Zhao is struggling to absorb all that has happened after a rollercoaster few years that have taken him from the sport’s depths to breathtaking highs.
Zhao announced himself to the snooker world in 2021 by winning the UK Championship title, beating Luca Brecel 10-5 in the final in York.
But then his future in the sport was in doubt as he was one of 10 Chinese players to be banned in a corruption scandal.
Zhao did not directly throw a match but was initially suspended for two and a half years, reduced to one year and eight months after his early admissions and guilty plea. He accepted charges of being a party to another player fixing two matches and betting on matches himself.
He made his return to top-level snooker at the UK Championship last year, before his stunning Crucible run.
That included victories over 2024 world runner-up Jak Jones, a 17-7 dismantling of eight-time champion Ronnie O’Sullivan in the semi-final and a comprehensive victory over three-time winner Williams in the final.
