Achieving the impossible, Zhao Xintong, the Chinese snooker player, made history by winning all three Players Series titles in a single season.
The moment "The Cyclone" Zhao Xintong, a 29-year-old Chinese snooker player, crushed "The Machine Gun" Judd Trump, the world's number one snooker player from England, 10-3 in frames in the 2026 Tour Championship final not only earned him the title but also created numerous historic milestones in the snooker world.
On the evening of 5 April 2026 at Manchester Central, UK, one of the best days in Zhao Xintong's life, the 29-year-old Chinese snooker player, made a performance that will be forever recorded in the sport's history by defeating world number one Judd Trump 10-3 in the Tour Championship final, pushing his season earnings past 1 million euros, approximately 37.6 million baht.
In this encounter, Zhao Xintong dominated from the start, while Judd Trump appeared drained, clearly struggling with issues related to his new cue tip and a drop in confidence. Zhao led 2-0 before Trump leveled at 2-2, but Zhao then scored consecutively with breaks of 91 and 98, closing the first session ahead 5-3.
In the second session, Zhao Xintong won five straight frames to close the match 10-3, securing prize money of 172,000 euros, about 6.4 million baht. This victory made Zhao the first snooker player in history to win all three Players Series events in a single season: the World Grand Prix and the Players Championship, which he had won earlier in February.
Additionally, Zhao became only the fourth player in professional snooker history to win all five of his first ranking finals, joining Steve Davis, Mark Williams, and Neil Robertson. Impressed by Zhao's brilliance, world number one Judd Trump said, "Zhao Xintong is an outstanding player, the best in the world right now, and he will stay in this sport for a long time. If we don't improve our performances against him, he will win another 100 titles."
Zhao Xintong said, "This is a very special moment for me. Manchester is a great city, and the fans here are amazing. I know defending the world title is very difficult, but I will give it my all." He is scheduled to compete in the 2026 World Snooker Championship from 18 April to 4 May.