Career Story

Early Life

Zhao was born in Shenzhen, Guangdong, in 1997. He started playing snooker at eight years old, an age when most kids in China are nowhere near a snooker hall, and the game clearly took hold immediately. Shenzhen and Xi’an both feature in accounts of his formative years, reflecting the kind of mobile upbringing common among Chinese players who follow coaching programmes and academies wherever they lead.

He turned professional at nineteen during the 2016-17 season. His early years on the World Snooker Tour were a learning exercise, accumulating experience against seasoned professionals while developing the aggressive, high-scoring game that would later make him a household name. The foundation he built in those quieter seasons paid off spectacularly once he found his consistency.

Career Highlights

The 2021 UK Championship was the moment everything clicked publicly. Zhao defeated John Higgins, Jack Lisowski, and Barry Hawkins on his way to the final, then beat Luca Brecel 10-5 to claim the title. He became only the fourth non-UK player to win one of snooker’s most prestigious ranking events, and the victory pushed him into the world’s top sixteen for the first time. For anyone watching, it was not a surprise. It was a confirmation.

He did not let the momentum slip. Later that same season, at the 2022 German Masters, Zhao delivered a 9-0 whitewash of Yan Bingtao in the final. A perfect scoreline against a fellow professional in a ranking event final is exceptionally rare, and it underlined just how dominant Zhao could be when everything was working. By May 2022, he had climbed to a career-high world ranking of No. 6, accumulated 31 century breaks across the season, and earned £386,350 in prize money for the campaign.

The following season brought a historic achievement. Zhao became the first player ever to win all three Players Series events, the Players Championship, the World Grand Prix, and the Tour Championship, in a single campaign. He also lifted the non-ranking Riyadh Season Championship title. The Players Series sweep alone would have been a remarkable footnote in snooker history. Doing it all in one season made it something else entirely.

Then came the suspension. In January 2023, the WPBSA provisionally suspended Zhao following his admission to involvement in match-fixing irregularities during the 2021-22 season. It was a serious matter, and it kept him away from competitive snooker for an extended period. The sport lost one of its best players at what should have been his peak years.

His return, however, was extraordinary. Across the 2025-26 season, Zhao earned more than £1 million in competition prize money and led the century break chart with 82 centuries, a total fifteen clear of second-placed Mark Selby. He also compiled his first official maximum 147 break in early 2026. By early 2026, he sat at No. 7 on the world rankings. For a player who had to rebuild from scratch, those numbers represent something genuinely remarkable. Anyone who follows snooker closely and wants to understand why equipment matters at the highest level should know that Zhao’s precise cueing action puts enormous demands on snooker cues, where the balance and tip responsiveness separate good equipment from elite equipment.

The research also notes that Zhao is regarded by legends such as Ronnie O’Sullivan as one of the best players in the world, and one source identifies him as the first player born in the 1990s to win three snooker majors. Whether that specific claim holds up across every possible interpretation is less important than the broader picture: he is a generational talent who has won at the highest level, survived a career-threatening setback, and come back playing the best snooker of his life.

Playing Style

Zhao plays with a directness that sets him apart from the more defensive, percentages-driven approach of many top professionals. He commits to his shot selection early, attacks the ball with pace and confidence, and builds centuries at a rate that few players on tour can match. His 82 centuries in 2025-26 alone, topped across the entire tour, is not the kind of number a cautious player puts together.

His cue ball control is sophisticated enough to support that attacking intent. Zhao does not just pot balls, he constructs breaks with purpose, and his positional play keeps him in long runs rather than forcing him to manufacture safety exits. When he is in full flow, watching him on a well-maintained snooker table is as close to effortless as the sport gets.

He has also shown, over time, that he can adapt. Beating Barry Hawkins, John Higgins, and others on his route to the 2021 UK Championship required tactical intelligence, not just shot-making firepower. And his record across different formats, ranking events, Players Series, non-ranking competitions, shows he can raise his game for any occasion.

His maximum 147 in early 2026 demonstrated that his touch under pressure remains intact. The 147 is the ultimate expression of a snooker player’s technique and nerves, and compiling one in competitive play is a milestone that matters regardless of career stage. Fans watching at home who want the full picture of what elite snooker demands at the equipment level might also appreciate how much difference the right snooker balls make to the game, from the way they respond to side-spin to how they hold up over extended sessions.

Frequently Asked Questions

When did Zhao Xintong turn professional?

Zhao turned professional during the 2016-17 season at the age of nineteen. He worked his way through the early stages of the World Snooker Tour before breaking into genuine title contention in 2021.

What is Zhao Xintong’s career-high world ranking?

Zhao reached a career-high of No. 6 in the world rankings by May 2022, following a season in which he won two ranking events and accumulated 31 century breaks. As of early 2026, he sits at No. 7.

Why was Zhao Xintong suspended from snooker?

In January 2023, the WPBSA provisionally suspended Zhao after he admitted to involvement in match-fixing irregularities during the 2021-22 season. The suspension kept him away from professional competition for an extended period before he returned to the tour.

How many ranking titles has Zhao Xintong won?

Zhao has won four ranking titles in his professional career. These include the 2021 UK Championship, the 2022 German Masters, and the three Players Series events he swept in a single historic campaign.

What makes Zhao Xintong’s 2025-26 season so significant?

Coming off the back of his suspension, Zhao earned over £1 million in prize money during the 2025-26 season and led the entire tour with 82 century breaks, fifteen clear of the next best player. He also compiled his first official 147 maximum break in early 2026, making it one of the standout comeback seasons in modern snooker history.