Ding Junhui facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Ding Junhui

Ding at the 2025 Masters
Born	(1987-04-01) 1 April 1987 (age 38) Yixing, Jiangsu, China
Sport country	China
Professional	2003–present
Highest ranking	1 (December 2014, January–February 2015)
Current ranking	6 (as of 8 May 2018)
Tournament wins
Ranking	15
Minor-ranking	4
Medal record Men's snooker Representing  China World Games Silver 2005 Duisburg Individual Asian Games Gold 2002 Busan Individual Silver 2002 Busan Team Gold 2006 Doha Individual Gold 2006 Doha Doubles Gold 2006 Doha Team Silver 2010 Guangzhou Individual Gold 2010 Guangzhou Team Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games Silver 2013 Incheon Individual Gold 2013 Incheon Team

Ding Junhui (born April 1, 1987) is a professional snooker player from China. He is known as the most successful Asian player in the history of snooker. Ding has won 15 big tournaments that count towards his world ranking. These include three UK Championships in 2005, 2009, and 2019.

In 2014, he made history by becoming the first Asian player to be ranked world number one. He has also reached the final of the Masters tournament twice, winning it once in 2011. In 2016, Ding became the first Asian player to reach the final of the World Championship.

Ding started playing snooker when he was nine years old. He became famous internationally in 2002. That year, he won the Asian Under-21 Championship and the Asian Championship. At just 15, he was the youngest person to win the IBSF World Under-21 Championship. He turned professional in 2003 at age 16. His first major wins were in 2005 when he won the China Open and the UK Championship. He was the first player from outside Great Britain and Ireland to win the UK title.

Throughout his career, Ding has made over 600 "century breaks" (scoring 100 points or more in one turn). He has also made seven "maximum breaks" (scoring the highest possible 147 points in one turn). He is the only Asian player to reach world number one, which he first did in 2014. Ding lives in Sheffield, England, and owns a snooker academy there.

Early Life and Snooker Start

Ding Junhui was born on April 1, 1987, in Yixing, China. When he was eight, he went with his dad to play pool. His dad was a big pool fan. While his dad was away, Ding picked up a cue and played against a professional player. Ding actually won the game!

After that, Ding's parents supported his training in cue sports, especially snooker. When he was nine, his father took him to the Chinese national snooker team's training center. His mother even sold their home and grocery business to help Ding pursue snooker as a career. The family moved, and Ding left school at age 11. He practiced snooker for eight hours every day.

Ding's Professional Snooker Journey

Starting His Career (2002–2007)

Ding became well-known around the world in 2002 when he was 15. He won the Asian Under-21 Championship and the Asian Championship. He also became the youngest winner of the IBSF World Under-21 Championship. In 2003, he became a professional player.

In 2005, Ding turned 18 and won the China Open. He beat famous players like Peter Ebdon and Stephen Hendry. About 110 million people in China watched him win, making it the most-watched snooker match ever! Later that year, he won the UK Championship, beating Steve Davis. He was the first player from outside the UK to win this title. His world ranking quickly jumped from 62 to 27.

In 2006, Ding won his third big tournament, the Northern Ireland Trophy, by beating Ronnie O'Sullivan. He was one of only three players under 20 to achieve this. That December, he won three gold medals at the Asian Games in snooker. By the end of the 2006–07 season, Ding was ranked world number nine.

Big Moments and Challenges (2007–2009)

In January 2007, Ding won the Chinese National Championship. On January 14, he made his first "147 break" (a perfect score) at the Masters tournament. This made him the youngest player to make a televised 147 break. He also became the first Chinese player to do so.

Ding reached the Masters final, playing against Ronnie O'Sullivan. The crowd was very loud, and Ding got upset during the match. He ended up losing. After this, he had a tough time in some tournaments. But he still ended the season ranked world number 11.

The next season, Ding consistently reached the later stages of tournaments. In 2008, he reached the second round of the World Championship for the first time. He also set a record for the most points scored without his opponent scoring any (495 points) against Stephen Hendry. This record was later broken by Ronnie O'Sullivan.

Ding started the 2008–09 season strong. He won the Jiangsu Classic and another event in the World Series of Snooker. In December 2008, he made his second 147 break at the UK Championship.

Winning More Titles (2009–2011)

In the 2009–10 season, Ding reached the final of the Grand Prix, but lost to Neil Robertson. However, he then won his second UK Championship title, beating John Higgins in the final. This was a big win for him.

He continued to play well, reaching the China Open final in 2010, but lost to Mark Williams. At the World Championship, he reached the second round. By the end of the season, his world ranking had improved to number five.

In January 2011, Ding reached his second Masters final. He won the Masters for the first time, beating Marco Fu in the first-ever all-Chinese Masters final. This was a huge achievement.

Ding also had his best run at the World Snooker Championship in 2011. He made a great comeback in one match, winning four frames in a row to win 13–12. He reached the semi-finals for the first time, but lost a close match to Judd Trump. He finished the season ranked world number four, his highest ranking yet.

More Wins and Challenges (2011–2014)

In 2011, Ding and his teammate Liang Wenbo won the World Cup for China. In 2012, Ding won his fifth ranking tournament, the Welsh Open, by beating Mark Selby. He also won the Championship League tournament.

He had some ups and downs, but in 2012, he won the Scottish Open, a smaller ranking event. In 2013, he won the Players Tour Championship Finals. He made his fifth 147 break in this tournament.

The 2013–14 season was amazing for Ding. He won his seventh ranking title at the Shanghai Masters. This was the first time two Chinese players (Ding and Xiao Guodong) played in a ranking event final. He then won the Indian Open, becoming the first player since 2003 to win two major ranking titles in a row.

Ding kept winning! He won the International Championship, making it three major ranking wins in a row. This was a record only Stephen Hendry had achieved before. He then won two more ranking titles: the German Masters and the China Open. This meant he won five ranking titles in one season, matching Stephen Hendry's record. Despite losing in the first round of the World Championship, Ding ended the season ranked world number two, his highest career ranking.

Becoming World Number One and Later Years (2014–Present)

At the end of 2014, Ding became the 11th player to reach world number one. He was the first Asian player to do so. However, he had a tough period in 2015, losing in the first round of several tournaments. His form improved at the China Open, where he reached the semi-finals.

In 2016, Ding made his sixth 147 break at the Welsh Open. He then had an incredible run at the World Snooker Championship. He won three qualifying matches and then beat several top players to reach the final. He set a new record for the most century breaks (seven) in a World Championship semi-final match at the Crucible Theatre. Ding became the first Asian player to reach the World Championship final, but he lost to Mark Selby.

In 2016, Ding won the Six-red World Championship and his second Shanghai Masters title. He continued to reach semi-finals and quarter-finals in various tournaments. In 2017, he and Liang Wenbo won the World Cup for China again. He also won the World Open.

In 2018, Ding reached the final of the World Grand Prix, but lost to Ronnie O'Sullivan. In 2019, he reached the semi-finals of the Masters. He then won his third UK Championship title, beating Stephen Maguire in the final. This was his first ranking event win since 2017. He made ten century breaks during this tournament.

After a challenging period, Ding showed signs of strong return. In 2022, he reached the UK Championship final, moving from 38th to 19th in the world rankings. In 2023, he reached the UK Championship final again and made a 147 break at the 2024 Masters. In 2024, Ding won the International Championship in China, his first ranking title since 2019 and his fifteenth overall.

Achievements and Records

Ding has won many important snooker tournaments.

• He won three big ranking tournaments in a row in 2013.
• He reached the World Championship final once in 2016. He was the first Asian player to do this.
• He has won the UK Championship three times (2005, 2009, 2019) and reached the final five times.
• He won the Masters tournament in 2011 and was a finalist in 2007.

Ding has made over 600 century breaks in his career. He has also made seven perfect "147 maximum breaks."

• His first 147 break was at the 2007 Masters when he was 19 years old. This made him the youngest player to make a televised 147.
• His second 147 was at the 2008 UK Championship.
• His third was in 2011 at the FFB Snooker Open.
• His fourth was just two days later, also in 2011.
• His fifth was at the 2013 PTC Finals.
• His sixth was at the 2016 Welsh Open.
• His seventh was at the 2024 Masters.

Personal Life

Ding Junhui studied Business Administration and Management at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. He lives in Sheffield, England, and practices at the English Institute of Sport there. He is also a supporter of the Sheffield United F.C. football team.

In 2014, Ding married Zhang Yuanyuan, also known as Apple Zhang. Their daughter was born in August 2018. Sadly, Ding's mother passed away from cancer in January 2017 at age 55.

Images for kids

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  Mark Selby (left) and Ding at the World Series of Snooker in Moscow, 2008

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  Ding Junhui at the 2013 German Masters

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  Ding with the 2014 German Masters trophy

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  Ding Junhui at the 2015 German Masters

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  Ding interacting with fans in 2016