Wu Yize facts for kids
Wu in 2026
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| Born | 14 October 2003 Lanzhou, Gansu, China |
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| Sport country |  China |
| Professional | 2021–present |
| Highest ranking | 4 (May 2026) |
| Tournament wins | |
| Ranking | 2 |
| World Champion | 2026 |
| Wu Yize | |||||||||||||
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| Simplified Chinese | 吴宜泽 | ||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 吳宜澤 | ||||||||||||
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Wu Yize (Chinese: 吴宜泽; pinyin: Wú Yízé, pronounced approximately WOO-_-EE-tsuh) is a talented professional snooker player from China. Born on October 14, 2003, he quickly rose through the ranks to become the World Snooker Champion in 2026. He is known for his exciting style of play and his impressive achievements at a young age.
Wu became a professional player in 2021. He won his first major title, the 2025 International Championship, by defeating the legendary John Higgins. This victory helped him enter the top 16 players in the world. He then made a fantastic debut at the 2026 Masters tournament, reaching the semi-finals.
His biggest achievement came when he won the 2026 World Snooker Championship. He beat Mark Allen in a thrilling semi-final and then Shaun Murphy in an incredibly close final match. Wu Yize became only the second World Champion from Asia and the second-youngest winner in the history of professional snooker. After this amazing win, he reached his highest world ranking of 4th.
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Wu's Early Life and Snooker Journey
Wu Yize grew up in Lanzhou, a city in the Gansu province of northwestern China. He showed a natural talent for snooker from a very young age. When he was just 11 years old, his father took him to the Yushan International Billiards Academy. There, he trained with Australian coach Roger Leighton, learning important skills.
To pursue his dream of becoming a professional snooker player, Wu moved to the United Kingdom with his father when he was 16. They settled in Sheffield, a city famous for snooker. This move showed how dedicated Wu and his family were to his snooker career.
Becoming a Professional Snooker Player
Wu Yize's talent was clear early on. In 2018, when he was only 14, he won the IBSF World Under-21 Snooker Championship. He beat Pongsakorn Chongjairak from Thailand in the final match. This was a huge achievement for such a young player.
He received a special invitation to play in a professional tournament, the 2019 International Championship, where he played against top players like John Higgins. He also reached the last 32 players in the 2019 Six-red World Championship.
Starting His Professional Career (2021-2024)
In April 2021, Wu Yize officially became a professional snooker player. He earned his spot on the World Snooker Tour by winning a special qualification tournament in Beijing. This meant he could compete against the best players in the world.
In his first professional season, Wu showed great promise. He reached the last 32 in three different ranking events. Because of his strong start, he was given the 'Rookie of the Year' award by the World Snooker Tour in May 2022.
In August 2022, Wu reached his first quarter-final at the European Masters. He beat several experienced players before being stopped by Ali Carter. The following year, he qualified for the main stage of the World Snooker Championship for the first time, a major milestone for any snooker player. He also reached the semi-finals of the 2023 Wuhan Open in October 2023.
The 2024-25 season was also successful for Wu. He reached his first ranking final at the English Open, where he played against Neil Robertson. He also made it to the final of the Scottish Open. He ended the season by qualifying for the 2025 World Snooker Championship.
Winning the World Championship (2025-2026)
The 2025-26 season was a truly historic one for Wu Yize. In November 2025, he won his first ever ranking title at the 2025 International Championship. He played incredibly well, beating Judd Trump and then the reigning World Champion, Zhao Xintong, before winning the final against John Higgins with a score of 10–6. This big win moved him into the top 16 players in the world.
In January 2026, Wu made his debut at the prestigious Masters tournament. He surprised many by reaching the semi-finals, showing he could compete with the very best. He also achieved a perfect maximum break (147 points) in a match during the 2026 Championship League.
His incredible journey continued at the 2026 World Snooker Championship. As a seeded player, he won his first match easily. He then went on to defeat strong opponents like Mark Selby and Hossein Vafaei to reach the semi-finals. His semi-final match against Mark Allen was epic, featuring the longest frame ever played at the World Championships, lasting over one hour and forty minutes! Wu won that match in a deciding frame.
In the final, he faced Shaun Murphy. It was a nail-biting match that went down to the very last frame. Wu Yize won 18–17, becoming the World Snooker Champion! This made him the second-youngest player to ever win the title.
Wu Yize's Major Achievements
Wu Yize has quickly built an impressive list of achievements in his young career:
- World Snooker Champion: 2026
- International Championship Winner: 2025
- IBSF World Under-21 Champion: 2018
- Rookie of the Year: 2022
- Reached a career-high world ranking of 4th.
