When 22-year-old newly crowned world snooker champion Wu Yize stepped through the doors of Xi’an’s TNT Billiards Club on Wednesday, he was greeted not with a quiet casual welcome, but with the kind of deafening chants and roaring cheers usually reserved for A-list rock stars. The soft-spoken young athlete waved shyly to the crowd, his demeanor betraying the awkwardness of a rising star still adjusting to the sudden flood of national fame that followed his historic win earlier this week. Yet his understated modesty did nothing to dim the fierce enthusiasm of hundreds of fans who traveled from across the country just to catch a glimpse of the athlete who just made snooker history.
Wu’s victory at the World Snooker Championship marks a landmark moment for China: he is the second Chinese player in as many years to take home the sport’s most prestigious title, and the second-youngest competitor in history to claim the crown. What has turned his win into a national obsession, however, is far more than just back-to-back global titles. Wu’s journey to the top is a classic underdog fairytale: at just 16 years old, he dropped out of school and moved alone to Sheffield, England, the global heart of professional snooker, to chase his dream of turning pro. As a teen living abroad, he shared a windowless apartment with his father, sleeping in the same bed to cut costs while he honed his craft. Now, after claiming the world title, he says he plans to use his prize money to buy a proper home for his parents in England, so they can continue supporting his career.
Hailing from Gansu, a less economically developed inland province in northwest China known mostly for its vast deserts, Wu’s rags-to-riches story has resonated deeply with fans across the country. Dozens of supporters traveled for hours via high-speed rail from Gansu to Xi’an just to attend Wednesday’s celebration. Li Hao, one fan who made the multi-hour trip, called Wu’s journey “a reminder that no matter where you come from, you can reach the top if you work for it.” Another fan brought a years-old photo of Wu to get autographed, saying he’d always known the young player would go on to greatness.
During the homecoming event, Wu put on a demonstration of his iconic skill for the gathered crowd, drawing gasps of awe from onlookers as he pulled off signature trick shots. He even played a short match against Liu Yifei, a local amateur player who won a qualifying play-off to earn the chance to compete against the champion. Liu said Wu’s historic win has inspired her to push harder to improve her own snooker skills, and that she expects to see many more young Chinese players follow in his footsteps in coming years.
Wu told the BBC that he was overwhelmed by the warmth of his homecoming, saying, “It’s great to feel the warmth of my homeland.”
Wu’s victory comes at a time of explosive growth for snooker across China. Industry estimates show roughly 60 million people play billiards annually in the country, spread across more than 300,000 dedicated halls. Today, Chinese competitors make up 25% of all players on the global professional snooker circuit, a share that is expected to grow as more young people take up the sport. One of the youngest fans in attendance at Wednesday’s event, an eight-year-old boy, told reporters he already practices regularly, and that his big goal is to one day win the world championship just like Wu.
Experts point to multiple factors driving snooker’s rising popularity in China. One key draw is that the sport remains relatively affordable to play, making it accessible to players even in less developed regions like western China, where average incomes lag behind the wealthy coastal southeast. For many young people from working-class and rural backgrounds, Wu’s success has turned snooker into a tangible path to achievement, opening a new dream for generations of aspiring athletes.