Zhao Xintong beat Neil Robertson 5-1 at 2026 Wuhan Open, becoming the second Chinese snooker world No.1 after Ding Junhui, but the title is not stable yet.
Zhao Xintong defeated Neil Robertson 5–1. The moment the final scoreboard in the quarterfinals of the 2026 Wuhan Open settled at 5–1, the No. 1 spot in the world snooker rankings was claimed by a new Chinese player.
When the news broke, many longtime snooker fans found their teacups wobbling. The last Chinese player to reach the world No. 1 ranking was Ding Junhui, more than a decade ago; after all these years, a Chinese player has finally climbed to the pinnacle of the snooker world once again.Zhao Xintong has been known for his aggressive play since his youth. After years of grinding it out on the professional circuit, he has honed a fast-paced attacking style. In this match, his offense completely disrupted Robertson’s defensive rhythm,scoring two century breaks and one fifty-plus break throughout the match, blanking his opponent in five consecutive frames and firmly controlling the pace of the game. As early as the second day of the tournament, he had swept Gao Yang 5–0 to advance to the round of 32; throughout the entire tournament, he maintained firm control of the situation, leaving his opponents no room for a comeback.Previously, former world No. 1 Trump had been docked a massive number of ranking points due to a tournament violation, causing him to drop out of the top four—a development that effectively cleared one obstacle from Zhao Xintong’s path to the title.
Since Zhao Xintong had no previous points to be deducted, all the ranking points corresponding to the prize money he earned in this tournament were counted toward his official ranking. After defeating Robertson, he became the second Chinese player—following Ding Junhui—to reach the top of the world snooker rankings. This marks a major breakthrough that the Chinese snooker community has been awaiting for many years.
However, this newly acquired world No. 1 ranking is not on solid ground. The gap between him and Neil Robertson in the rankings is only about 2,350 pounds—a very narrow margin.If he is eliminated early in the upcoming UK Championship and Robertson plays well and advances steadily, Zhao Xintong’s world No. 1 ranking could change hands as early as September 6—and he might even set a new record for the shortest tenure as world No. 1, surpassing the previous record held by Ding Junhui.At this point, his position as world No. 1 is far from secure; it’s more like walking across a wobbly tightrope.
In a post-match interview, Zhao Xintong refrained from making bold statements; he simply thanked the fans for their support and said he would now focus on the upcoming UK Open, aiming to maintain his form and further widen the points gap.Of course, there is another possibility: if he can maintain his current form and gradually widen the points gap, he might even hold onto the world No. 1 ranking until the 2027 World Championship.
Many longtime fans who have been following snooker for more than a decade—from the days when Ding Junhui was challenging for the world No. 1 ranking to the present—understand just how difficult it has been for Chinese players to reach this point. As for what the future holds for the newly crowned world No. 1, the upcoming UK Open will be the first key event to watch.
