Early breaks

In the early 2000s, Ding Junhui emerged as China's first global snooker star.

In 2005, the then 18-year-old defeated superstar Stephen Hendry at the China Open, a landmark victory and a turning point in raising the sport's visibility in China.

At the time, China had only a small number of professionals playing abroad. Ding's early career was marked by isolation and limited support in Sheffield. But he established a path that later generations of Chinese snooker professionals would follow.

"Without Brother Hui, there would be no current generation of Chinese snooker players," Zhao has previously said.

Ding now works informally with younger Chinese players in Sheffield.

"From Zhao Xintong to Wu Yize, Chinese players have stood on the top podium for two consecutive years," Ding wrote after Wu's world title. "This is not just a breakthrough — it shows our time is coming."

Unlike earlier generations, today's players are supported by a growing domestic network of academies, training centers and professional pipelines.

The shift from family-driven investment to institutional support is now widely recognized as key to the newfound success. Earlier players often relied on significant personal sacrifice.

Ding, for instance, began playing at age 8 in his father's grocery store. Once his talent was recognized, his father sold the family home and moved to Dongguan, Guangdong province, where Ding trained for more than 10 hours a day.

Wu followed a similar path. Born in 2003 in Lanzhou, Gansu province, he moved with his family to Dongguan at age 13 to join the Ding Junhui Snooker Academy, winning a national junior title the following year. He later won the World Junior U21 Championship in 2018, and was named Rookie of the Year in 2022.

From 16, he trained in the United Kingdom with his father, who supported him financially by working outside the sport. After his world title win, Wu said: "Since I made the decision to drop out of school, my dad has been by my side. My mum has not been in very good health. Since we have been in Sheffield, she has been staying a long time in hospital. She has sacrificed everything for me.

"My parents are the true champions … They are the source of my strength," he said.