Ronnie O’Sullivan has hailed ‘phenomenal player’ Zhao Xintong ahead of their World Snooker Championship semi-final and suggested his ban from snooker was ‘a bit unfair’. The pair meet ...

Despite being the newly-crowned World Snooker Championship winner, Zhao Xintong is still barred from playing in his home country of China due to his involvement in the sport's most significant ...

Reflecting on his success, Zhao spoke about how he worked hard behind the scenes to ensure that he could hit the ground running after his ban. He told The Times: “It was a very hard time but I ...

The same tournament where he made his breakthrough marked Zhao’s return to the big stage in November of last year. Before his ban, he was fast becoming a fan favourite due to his flamboyant ...

Zhao is the first amateur to ever win the world title here, having been dumped from the professional tour because of his ban. He is also just the third qualifier to triumph at the Crucible ...

“It’s a very special moment for me, for Chinese snooker, for everyone.” Zhao received a 20-month ban in January 2023 after a match-fixing scandal that rocked the sport, the repercussions of ...

Zhao needed just one more frame in Monday night’s fourth and final session in Sheffield to clinch the title and eventually wrapped up an 18-12 triumph following a last-gasp rally from Williams ...

But it’s his actions off the table that make Zhao such a complex figure. He was competing in Sheffield this fortnight as an amateur due to only recently returning from a 20-month ban for match ...

Zhao was in the middle of a 20-month ban due to his involvement in a snooker corruption probe - although he did not directly fix a match. The suspension meant Xintong was stripped of his place on ...

In a triumphant return to the Crucible, Zhao Xintong captured the 2025 World Snooker Championship, a remarkable feat following a 20-month ban from the sport. The Chinese snooker star toppled ...

Zhao received a 20-month ban in January 2023 after a match-fixing scandal that rocked the sport, the repercussions of which meant he was classed as an amateur at this event and needed to get ...