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Zhao Xintong has become the new world number one after beating Neil Robertson in the quarter-finals of the 2026 Wuhan Open. The pair began the encounter knowing that a victory for either would result in them rising to the top of the two-year standings. Zhao got off to the better start, winning the opening couple of frames with breaks of 106 and 91, before Robertson got on the scoreboard by taking the third frame. A lengthy fourth frame then proved crucial, with Zhao pinching it on the black before adding runs of 113 and 54 to secure a relatively comfortable 5-1 win. The victory means Zhao becomes only the 13th player in snooker history to reach the summit of the official world rankings. He is also the second Chinese player to become world number one after compatriot Ding Junhui. The 29 year-old’s rise to the top has been remarkably swift. Less than two years ago, Zhao had no ranking points to his name after returning to the World Snooker Tour following his suspension. He has since accumulated more than £1.2 million in ranking prize money, with all but £10,000 of that total coming since his victory at the 2025 World Championship. Zhao has been the standout player in snooker over the last 16 months and his ascent to the summit represents the latest reward for an extraordinary period of success. He swept the Players Series during the second half of the 2025/26 campaign, securing the World Grand Prix, Players Championship, and Tour Championship hat-trick. The Chinese star arrived in Wuhan having already established himself as one of the leading players in the world rankings. His victory over Robertson means that Judd Trump’s reign at the top of the official two-year list comes to an end after about two years. The Englishman had held the number one position since August 2024 but entered this week’s ranking event with his status under serious threat. Trump wasn’t able to defend the £500,000 that he claimed for victory at the 2024 Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters, with that tournament since scrapped from the calendar. With that sum deducted from his rolling two-year tally, the 37 year-old dropped to fifth on the provisional standings ahead of the Wuhan Open. Trump was a winner at the prestigious Shanghai Masters earlier this month, but that event is classified as an invitational and doesn’t reward players with ranking points. The former world champion subsequently exited in the last 32 of the China Open to Noppon Saengkham before suffering a last-eight reverse to Chang Bingyu in Wuhan. Chang compiled breaks of 132, 69, 67, and 58 in dismantling the challenge of his esteemed opponent. The result – and Mark Selby’s loss to Ronnie O’Sullivan on Thursday – opened the door for Zhao and Robertson to battle directly for the number one ranking, with Zhao emerging victorious. It might only be the beginning for the Cyclone. He has barely any ranking points to defend before the 2027 World Championship, with just £10,000 coming off his tally at this season’s UK Championship. That leaves him with a major opportunity to extend his advantage at the top of the rankings during the coming months. The Chinese star’s rise from zero ranking points to the summit in less than two years is therefore complete, but there could be considerably more to come. On the immediate agenda is potentially securing a seventh career ranking success this weekend. Zhao will face reigning Wuhan Open champion Xiao Guodong in Friday’s semi-finals, with O’Sullivan encountering Chang in the other last-four bout. Featured photo credit: WST