The inner voice of "F Nakhon Nayok" when trailing Ronnie 0-4 before miraculously winning the "World Open 2026" title, revealing full expense details.
On 24 Mar 2026 GMT+7, "F-One" Thepchaiya Un-Nooh met with Dr. Kongsak Yodmanee, governor of the Sports Authority of Thailand, after his remarkable achievement winning the World Open 2026 in China by defeating Ronnie O'Sullivan, the seven-time world snooker champion, in the final. This victory boosted his world ranking to 22 and earned him prize money of £175,000, about 7.7 million baht.
"F-One" shared that he is still savoring the success but must focus on his next goal at the Championship in Manchester next week. He recalled watching the broadcast and wondering why top players often reach finals, dreaming of that day himself—and now he has achieved it, especially by beating Ronnie in the final.
His professional career began in 2009 but he dropped off the tour for two years before returning in 2012. Early on, he felt discouraged because his skills were not yet world-class and he was ranked low, losing frequently. But as he matured, his mindset and emotional control improved. He once felt like quitting to run a business in Thailand, thinking he couldn't go further, but ultimately decided to believe in himself and continue.
The inner voice that sparked a miraculous comeback from trailing 0-4 to become champion.
In the final, he started behind 0-4 frames, admitting he was slightly overconfident due to memories of a heavy 1-10 loss to Ronnie at the Crucible in 2020—a very unpleasant experience.
When the situation was unfavorable, he humorously thought, "My wife will definitely scold me," because he was playing poorly. He then took a 15-minute break to reset his mindset, focusing on enjoying the game and not fixating on the score, instead concentrating on one frame at a time.
After that, he returned as "New F1," full of confidence, feeling every shot would land. He even made a maximum break of 147 points against Ronnie, a proud moment as he overcame himself, even though his opponent had previously scored a high 153 points.
After the match, Ronnie O'Sullivan praised him for playing excellently in the final and said he should have won by a larger margin if he played like that.
Future goals and Thai snooker scene.
His next aim is to reach another final, with the big goal being the World Championship at the Crucible in April—coinciding with his birthday (18 April)—and to re-enter the world's top 16. He has a chance if he performs well in the last two tournaments of the season since no ranking points will be dropped.
Promoting legislation and youth development: He hopes his success will help drive reforms to the gambling law to legally allow youth and academies to train. He was impressed by a Chinese academy with over 120 trainees and many snooker tables, and wishes to see similar development in Thailand.
Plans after retirement: He intends to open an academy in Thailand to coach children and work as a coach in the future.
Sponsors, finances, and training.
Currently, he has no sponsors from Thailand; all sponsors are from China. He appeals for Thai sponsors to come forward and support him.
Annual competition expenses are about 2 million baht, while his average yearly prize money is 2–3 million baht. After taxes and expenses, he barely makes a profit or sometimes just breaks even.
His latest prize money was about 7 million baht, but he jokingly said his wife "taxed" 100%, leaving him with zero baht.
"F-One" concluded by telling everyone, "Don't give up." He emphasized the need for discipline, determination, confidence, and importantly, support. He is glad to see Thai fans cheering for him on social media, which encourages him to keep performing well.