In a historic, edge-of-your-seat final at Sheffield’s iconic Crucible Theatre, 22-year-old Chinese cuemaker Wu Yize clinched his first ever World Snooker Championship crown on Monday, edging out veteran English competitor Shaun Murphy by a razor-thin 18-17 scoreline in a deciding frame that kept fans holding their breath until the final shot.
Wu’s triumph marks a second consecutive milestone for Chinese snooker: he becomes just the second Chinese player to lift the sport’s most prestigious trophy, following compatriot Zhao Xintong’s history-making win last year that saw Zhao become the first Asian world champion. Wu also enters the record books as the second youngest world champion ever crowned at the Crucible, sitting only behind Scottish legend Stephen Hendry, who claimed his first title at 21 back in 1990.
After a tense back-and-forth battle that stretched across two days of play, Wu held his composure when it mattered most to seal the victory. Heading into Monday’s final session, Wu held a narrow 10-7 advantage from Sunday’s opening exchanges, and extended his lead to 13-12 early on. But Murphy, a former world champion who claimed the title in 2005, refused to bow out easily. The Englishman grittily leveled the score at 16-16 with a well-earned century break, setting off a tense sprint to the finish.
Wu struck first in the closing exchanges, pulling off a brilliant 91-point clearance from a 45-0 deficit to move one frame away from the title at 17-16. He jumped to a 43-0 lead in the next frame, seemingly on the brink of victory, but a missed black off the spot let Murphy step in, who crafted a 75 break to force a decisive 35th frame. It was Wu who capitalized on the final turning point: Murphy left a tricky red ball hanging over the middle pocket, and Wu coolly slotted it home to launch an 85-break that sealed the historic win. This final marks the first time the World Snooker Championship has gone to a deciding frame since Peter Ebdon’s 18-17 win over Stephen Hendry in 2002.
In the immediate aftermath of his win, an emotional Wu paid tribute to the parents who have supported his snooker journey from its earliest days. “I have been trying to go for this for ages. For the past few months, I have been living the same life. I’m so happy that I could play well today,” Wu told reporters after the match. His parents, who were in the crowd, wiped away tears of joy before joining him for the trophy presentation. “My parents are the true champions. Since I made the decision to drop out of school, my dad has been by my side. My mum has also been going through a lot over the years, they are the source of my strength, I love them so much.” When asked about his immediate plans for celebration, the new champion laughed off grand gestures, saying: “I just want to have a good sleep. I have been feeling nerves all the time since before the match, so now I just want to go to bed!”
For Murphy, the defeat extends a tough run in World Championship finals: Monday’s loss was his fourth final defeat since he claimed the title in 2005. Despite the heartbreak, the English veteran was generous in praise for the new champion, recalling a prediction he made earlier in the season. “I hate being right, but we had a great game in China earlier this season. I came out afterwards and said he would be world champion one day,” Murphy said. “It’s just a real shame that it was today, but I couldn’t have given it any more. I played the best shots I could. I just didn’t get my chance.”
Hailing from Lanzhou in northwest China, Wu turned professional at just 17, and made a pivotal move to Sheffield three years ago to train alongside the growing community of elite Chinese snooker players based in the city. His path to the top was not without sacrifice: in his early months in England, he shared a small, windowless apartment with his father, where the pair shared a bed to cut costs. That dedication and sacrifice has slowly paid off, with runner-up finishes at the 2024 English Open and Scottish Open building momentum ahead of his Crucible run. Wu claimed his first ever ranking title at last year’s International Championship, where he defeated snooker great John Higgins.
Currently the youngest player ranked in the world’s top 16, Wu’s run to the 2025 world title included standout wins over former champions Mark Selby and Mark Allen that signaled he was a contender to watch. Even before his triumph, the young star had earned high praise from the sport’s biggest names: Ronnie O’Sullivan once described Wu as a “more dynamic” version of all-time legend Steve Davis. Now, like O’Sullivan and Davis, Wu can officially add “world snooker champion” to his list of career achievements.