Zhao Xintong

The amazing Zhao “The Cyclone” Xintong is a professional snooker player, who, as of 2023, has won two ranking titles: winning his first Triple Crown title at the 2021 UK Championship, and his second at the 2022 German Masters. He has been ranked as high as No.6 in the world, and is an Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games Champion, having won a Singles Gold and a Team Bronze in 2017.

Born and raised in China, Zhao started playing snooker at a young age and was just 15-years-old when he drew international attention with his impressive performances at the 2012 Zhangjiagang Open, and then at the 2013 International Championship where he beat World Champion Steve Davis. The same year he made it to the final of the World Amateur Championship.

During the 2015-16 season Zhao made his first appearances at the UK Championships, the German Masters, and at the Welsh Open. In 2017 he also took part in the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, going on to win a Singles Gold and a Team Bronze. He continued to impress on the world circuit, and at the 2021 UK Championship he claimed his first Triple Crown title by beating Luca Brecel in the final. In 2022 he won the German Masters beating Yan Bingtao by a whitewash of 9–0 to claim the second ranking title of his career, and to become only the third player in history to whitewash a player in the final of a ranking event.