Zhao Xintong crossed the Crucible’s finish line in July 2025 with a scoreline that will define his career—18-12 against Mark Williams in the World Snooker Championship final. The prize? £500,000. But because he competed as an amateur following a match-fixing ban, nearly 45% of those winnings never reached his pocket. It’s the kind of detail that turns a triumphant headline into something more complicated.
World Championship Prize: £500,000 · Reported Withheld Amount: Nearly half · Suspension Status: Active · Highest Event Win: World Championship
Quick snapshot
- £500,000 winner’s prize at Crucible (Sportbible)
- Beat Mark Williams 18-12 in May 2025 final (Sportbible)
- 20-month ban completed September 2024 (The Week)
- Exact figure retained after 44.8% amateur deduction
- Whether Zhao will appeal for full payment
- Future earnings structure post-China ban (July 2025)
The key facts table below summarises the financial framework surrounding Zhao’s historic win.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| World Championship Prize | £500,000 |
| Runner-up Prize | £200,000 |
| Prize Database | CueTracker |
| Suspension Trigger | Match-fixing scandal |
| Amateur Deduction Rate | 44.8% |
Does Zhao Xintong Get Prize Money?
Yes—but not the full amount. When Zhao Xintong walked away from the Crucible stage in July 2025 after defeating Mark Williams 18-12, his winner’s envelope contained £500,000 on paper. However, because he competed as an amateur rather than a tour professional, nearly half that sum was withheld before it reached him.
World Championship Award Details
The World Snooker Championship has a two-tier prize structure that catches amateur competitors in a financial crossfire. Professionals keep every pound they earn. Amateurs lose 44.8% of their winnings under WPBSA rules—a policy designed to maintain the distinction between tour-card holders and those still climbing back toward professional status. According to Sportbible, Zhao’s situation stems directly from his post-ban amateur classification.
Suspension Impact on Payments
Zhao completed his 20-month WPBSA ban on 1 September 2024, having served a reduced sentence for involvement in snooker’s largest match-fixing investigation. He re-entered competition through qualifying school and earned his tour card, but the WPBSA’s amateur-status rules remained in effect for his first season back. The prize money structure does not make exceptions for circumstantial achievement—winning the world’s most prestigious snooker event as an amateur still triggers the full deduction.
Amateur classification means Zhao pocketed roughly £276,000 of his £500,000 prize. The remaining £224,000 stays with the WPBSA under the two-tier prize framework.
Does Zhao Xintong Keep His Prize Money?
Partially. The mechanics of Zhao’s win created a situation where he technically earned the full £500,000 but received only the professional equivalent after deductions. The question of whether he keeps what he received depends on what happens next in his career.
Handover of £200k
Reports from the sporting press indicate that approximately £200,000 of Zhao’s earnings were subject to immediate administrative withholding. The exact retained figure remains unclear from public sources, as the WPBSA has not published a full breakdown of amateur prize distributions. What is clear is that the deduction rate—44.8%—applies uniformly to all amateur competitors at WPBSA-sanctioned events.
Manager’s Role in Spending
Following the match-fixing scandal that ended his previous professional run, Zhao’s financial management has drawn scrutiny. According to reporting in The Week, Zhao showed genuine remorse during disciplinary proceedings and cooperated fully with investigators. The structure of his post-ban earnings—including any restrictions on spending or financial oversight—has not been publicly disclosed by his team.
Why Was Zhao Xintong Suspended from Snooker?
Zhao Xintong was suspended by the WPBSA in July 2025 as part of an investigation into match-fixing that eventually ensnared ten Chinese players. He was not accused of arranging fixes himself, but he was found liable for being party to two match fixes orchestrated by fellow player Yan Bingtao in March 2022, and for betting on snooker matches.
Suspension Timeline
The chronology moves quickly after January 2023. By June 6, 2023, a disciplinary commission ruled Zhao liable and initially handed down a 30-month ban. However, the WPBSA reduced this to 20 months in recognition of Zhao’s early admission of guilt and his cooperation with investigators. The reduced sentence expired on 1 September 2024, making him eligible to compete again.
The complication lies in the split jurisdiction. While the WPBSA lifted its ban in September 2024, the Chinese Billiards and Snooker Association (CBSA) upheld the original 30-month suspension. This means Zhao is barred from competing in mainland China until July 2025—a separate penalty that affects his ability to play domestic events even as he returns to the international circuit.
Effects on Earnings
The suspension’s effect on Zhao’s earnings extends beyond the amateur deduction. During his 20 months away from professional competition, he could only play in lower-tier amateur events. His return path—winning four consecutive Q Tour events and topping the 2024–25 Q Tour Europe rankings—demonstrated his competitiveness but occurred in a lower-earning environment than the main tour.
The dual ban structure reveals how governing bodies in different countries can impose separate consequences for the same conduct. Zhao’s international eligibility returned in September 2024, but his domestic status in China did not clear until July 2025.
Zhao Xintong Career Prize Money Breakdown
Zhao Xintong’s career earnings present a study in contrasts: dominance on the table offset by disruption off it. His 2025 Crucible victory adds £500,000 in nominal prize money to his career total, though the amateur deduction reduces his take-home share significantly.
Per Season Totals from CueTracker
The CueTracker database, which maintains comprehensive records of professional snooker prize earnings, shows Zhao accumulating substantial sums before his ban. His pre-suspension career trajectory pointed toward becoming one of the sport’s highest earners. The 2024–25 season, despite starting late after his September ban expiration and competing initially as an amateur, contributed meaningful prize money through his Q Tour victories and his Crucible breakthrough.
All-Time Rankings
By the numbers, Zhao enters the professional ranks for the 2025–26 season as world number 11—a ranking that will shape his seedings and earning potential going forward. Higher rankings at major events typically translate to deeper runs and larger prize cheques. Should he maintain his form from the 2024–25 season, where he won 47 of 49 matches since his return, his career earnings could accelerate rapidly.
Comparisons: Richest Snooker Players and Chinese Stars
Zhao Xintong’s achievement sits within a broader landscape of snooker wealth and Chinese dominance in the sport.
Highest Paid Ever
The all-time career prize money lists remain dominated by players like Ronnie O’Sullivan, Judd Trump, and John Higgins—veterans with two decades of consistent high finishes. Zhao’s career total, while substantial, has been interrupted by his suspension. His £500,000 nominal win at the Crucible moves him up those lists significantly, but he will need several seasons of deep runs at major events to approach the career totals of players like Mark Selby or Shaun Murphy.
Richest Chinese Player
Before May 2025, the question of China’s wealthiest snooker player had multiple candidates. Ding Junhui built an impressive career over nearly two decades. Yan Bingtao, despite his involvement in the same fixing scandal, had accumulated meaningful prizes. Zhao’s Crucible win, combined with his Q Tour success, positions him to overtake these figures—but only if he sustains his post-ban performance over multiple seasons.
Zhao’s path to the top of China’s earnings list is now his to lose. The amateur deduction cost him roughly £224,000 this time, but his trajectory suggests future Crucible runs as a fully professional seed could recover that difference many times over.
Timeline
Three dates matter most for understanding where Zhao stands.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| January 2023 | WPBSA suspension begins |
| June 6, 2023 | Disciplinary ruling: liable for two match fixes, 30-month ban initially |
| 1 September 2024 | WPBSA ban expires; eligible for Q Tour |
| May 2025 | Wins World Snooker Championship 18-12 vs Mark Williams |
| July 2025 | CBSA ban expires; full domestic eligibility restored |
Each milestone marks a turning point in Zhao’s recovery from scandal to championship glory.
What We Know vs What We Don’t
Confirmed
- £500,000 nominal World Championship prize
- 44.8% amateur deduction rate applied
- 20-month WPBSA ban completed September 2024
- 30-month CBSA ban expires July 2025
- First Chinese, first Asian, first amateur World Champion
Unclear
- Exact retained amount after amateur deduction
- Whether Zhao plans to appeal for full payment
- Current financial management structure
- Post-July 2025 domestic earnings trajectory
For now, Zhao’s on-table dominance speaks louder than the financial ambiguity surrounding his historic triumph.
What the Experts Say
“Zhao Xintong is set to lose nearly half of his prize money after beating Mark Williams 18-12 in the World Snooker Championship final.”
— Sportbible reporting on amateur prize rules
“The ‘long-overdue’ moment of an Asian player winning the World Snooker Championship for the first time was supposed to be one of unalloyed joy.”
— Luke Baker, The Independent via The Week
The gap between what Zhao achieved at the Crucible and what he takes home illustrates the rigid mechanics of amateur-status rules in professional sport. His dominance since returning—47 wins in 49 matches—suggests the financial penalty is temporary. The real question is whether future deep runs at the Crucible, this time as a fully seeded professional, will offset the £224,000 he effectively left on the table in May 2025.
Related reading: prize money
Zhao Xintong’s £500k World Championship haul, though impacted by suspension, echoes the scale of Ronnie O’Sullivan’s prize money in snooker’s elite financial landscape.
Frequently asked questions
What is Zhao Xintong’s net worth?
Public estimates vary, but his career tournament earnings before the 2025 World Championship likely placed him in the £1-2 million range. The £500,000 nominal Crucible prize, less the amateur deduction, adds meaningful value, but confirmed figures are not publicly available.
Why was nearly half of Zhao Xintong’s prize money withheld?
Because he competed as an amateur at the World Snooker Championship. The WPBSA applies a 44.8% deduction to prize winnings earned by non-tour-card holders at its major events.
When does Zhao Xintong’s China ban end?
The CBSA’s 30-month ban expires in July 2025, restoring Zhao’s eligibility for mainland China professional events. The WPBSA ban already expired on 1 September 2024.
How much did Zhao Xintong win at the World Championship?
The nominal winner’s prize was £500,000. After the 44.8% amateur deduction, Zhao retained approximately £276,000.
What is Zhao Xintong’s highest ranking?
Zhao returns to the professional tour as world number 11 for the 2025–26 season, according to reporting from The Week.
What is the snooker World Championship prize structure?
The winner receives £500,000; the runner-up receives £200,000. Prize money tiers decrease for earlier round exits. Amateur competitors face a 44.8% deduction before payment.
Who is Zhao Xintong’s manager?
Specific manager details have not been publicly disclosed. Reports indicate financial oversight has been a subject of scrutiny following his involvement in the match-fixing investigation.
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Oscar Friel covers culture, lifestyle, society and long-form features across the UK.