Published : 2026-05-09
Following Chinese snooker player Zhao Xintong's (趙心童) historic victory as the first Chinese player to win the World Snooker Championship title in 2025, 22-year-old Wu Yize (吳宜澤) became the second Chinese champion in May 2026. He is also the second-youngest winner in the tournament's history.
Wu Yize is a rising snooker star from China in recent years. Clinching this world championship has brought his dream of "creating an era of his own" within reach.
Wu's aggressive playing style won unanimous praise from former world champions including Ronnie O'Sullivan and Steve Davis, and it is fair to say that he has brought a revolutionary change to the world of snooker.
Wu Yize's aggressive playing style change the world of snooker
In snooker, most of the older generation prefer to play safe. If they feel a shot is unlikely to go in, they switch to a conservative strategy instead of taking risks.
But Wu Yize shows an attacking style. As long as he sees a chance to pot a ball, he takes the shot without hesitation, even if it might only be a 50%, or even a 30% chance.
Wu's playing style challenges the generally conservative style of play in the snooker world, leading him to be seen as someone who can change the sport.
Wu Yize showed snooker talent at age 7
Wu Yize was born in Lanzhou, Gansu Province. His snooker story began at the age of seven, when his father, Wu Jiepin (吳傑品) , introduced him to the sport.
His father quickly recognised that his son had the talent to become a professional player. Determined to support him, he closed down his antique shop and became his son's full-time practice partner to help him succeed.
Initially, without the guidance of a coach, Wu Yize reviewed and analysed each game with his father. His father was always with him for practice, while his mother took care of his daily life.
In 2014, when Wu was 11, he went to Jiangxi Province to receive snooker training. His father sought out a master coach for his son, eventually hiring the experienced Australian coach, Roger Leighton.
At the time, Wu Yize had a talent for snooker, but his technique was raw and he had an impatient temperament. He would loose his temper if practice did not go well.
Fortunately, with the dedicated and patient guidance of his coach, both Wu's skills and temperament improved significantly.
When Wu Yize was 13, he dropped out of school to concentrate on practising snooker, beginning more than 10 years of bending over, aiming, and shooting day after day. To fully support Wu Yize, his father took a huge gamble — selling their only house, and moving the whole family moved to Dongguan, Guangdong Province, so that Wu could train at the Ding Junhui Snooker Academy (丁俊暉桌球學院) for advanced studies.
The hard work finally paid off. In 2018, Wu became the winner of the IBSF World under-21 Snooker Championship. To further improve his son's snooker skills, Wu's father accompanied him to the UK for training.
When Wu Yize and his father first arrived in the UK, besides the language barrier, they were also under immense financial pressure. Wu's father had to work multiple jobs to cover living expenses and his son's training fees. They could only afford to rent a basic semi-basement, where the two squeezed into a narrow bed, living a very frugal life.
Therefore, after winning the 2026 World Snooker Championship, Wu did not forget to thank his parents. He said, "My father never left me; he has always been by my side. My mother has also been through a lot over the years. They are my eternal spiritual strength."
Read more: Chinese snooker player Zhao Xintong made history by winning the 2025 World Snooker Championship
Wu Yize crowned himself word champion just 5 years after turning professional
In 2021, Wu Yize earned his professional qualification and officially began his professional snooker career.
In 2022, he received the Rookie of the Year award from the World Snooker Tour. In 2024, Wu Yize reached the finals of both the English Open and the Scottish Open, finishing as the runner-up in both. His results were quite impressive, and he gradually gained a lot of attention from the public.
In November 2025, Wu achieved a major breakthrough. He won the 2025 International Championship by defeating John Higgins, securing his first ranking title and moving up to world No. 13.
By May 2026, Wu Yize reached the final of the World Snooker Championship for the first time, ultimately defeating English star Shaun Murphy by a score of 18-17 frames to win his first World Championship title, climbing to number 4 in the world rankings.
After the match, Wu said that a belief had supported him, "I have always craved the world championship title, and for this tournament, nobody wanted it more than I did."
He also said emotionally, "All the effort over the past month (repeatedly practising, eating, sleeping, working out, reading, then practising again, without a single day of rest), was all for this championship trophy. Today, my dream has finally come true."
Regarding his playing style, he stated, "When I feel I can attack, I will attack 100%, no matter what the score is, what the situation is at the time, or what I'm facing."
Undeniably, Wu Yize will continue to pioneer his own style with his attacking play, and gradually open a new chapter in the world of snooker.
His world championship victory has further enhanced the competitiveness of Chinese snooker on the international stage, and will help drive the development of Chinese snooker into a new era in the future.
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