Wu Yize

Wu Yize just won the 2026 World Snooker Championship at the Crucible Theatre, beating Shaun Murphy 18-17 in a nail-biting final-frame decider on May 4, 2026. The winning blow was a break of 91 — clinical, composed, and utterly decisive under the most extreme pressure imaginable. At 22 years old, Wu is the second-youngest world champion in the tournament's history, which is the kind of record that sends search traffic through the roof. He also pockets £500,000 in prize money. Snooker fans, sports fans, and casual viewers who caught the drama are all scrambling to find out who this young Chinese player actually is.

Wu Yize is a Chinese professional snooker player who has been building a reputation on the World Snooker Tour as one of the most gifted young talents in the sport. The World Snooker Championship at the Crucible in Sheffield is the sport's most prestigious event — 17 days of matches watched by millions globally, with the final traditionally running over two days. The 18-17 scoreline means both players won exactly 17 frames before Wu took the decisive last one, which is about as tight as snooker gets. Chinese snooker has been on a serious rise — Ding Junhui broke through decades ago and paved the way, but a new generation including Wu is now threatening to dominate the game. Shaun Murphy, Wu's opponent, is a former world champion and a seasoned Crucible veteran, which makes the result even more striking.