Zhao Xintong won the World Snooker Championship with an 18–12 victory over Mark Williams in the final, becoming the first Chinese player — and the first amateur — to lift the prestigious trophy at the Crucible. The 28-year-old’s run to the title included nine straight wins, with four of those coming through the qualifiers, making his achievement one of the most memorable in recent tournament history.
The victory earned him £500,000 in prize money and moved him up to 11th in the world rankings for the upcoming season. After the final, he celebrated with his girlfriend, Yiyi, and Victoria Shi, the head of the Sheffield Snooker Academy. Yiyi was seen picking confetti from his hair as they posed for photos with the trophy, capturing a lighthearted moment from a historic night.
While not much is known about Yiyi, she is aged between 20-30 years while her boyfriend Zhao who has a net worth of 1.5 million pounds is aged 28.
Xintong thanked his girlfriend, head of Sheffield Snooker Academy Shi and his parents after his win saying, “I can’t believe this. Yes, I can’t believe what I have done in this match. I’m very excited. Thank you.”
In his post-match speech, Zhao said he was still trying to process what had happened. He admitted feeling nervous during the match and praised Williams for the pressure he created throughout. He thanked his parents, Yiyi, his manager Victoria, and those at both the WST and CBSA academies, adding that the experience felt almost unreal. Fans also noticed a former Match of the Day presenter in the crowd, while SunSport reported that Yiyi had largely stayed out of the public eye until the final.
Zhao’s career had previously faced a major setback in June 2023 when he received a 20-month ban in connection with a match-fixing investigation. Although he wasn’t directly involved in fixing matches, he admitted to being complicit in two that were manipulated by another player and to betting on matches over a three-year span. He was also fined £7,500. Now back on the pro tour and ranked among the world’s best, Zhao has marked his return with a world title.
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