Shenzhen Open Brings £850,000 World Snooker Tour Event to China
The 2026 Shenzhen Open brings professional snooker back to China with an £850,000 total prize fund, running from September 28 to October 4 at the Bao’an Sports Centre, hoerzu.de reported. Contestants are competing for a £177,000 first-place prize at the sixth ranking event of the 2026/27 World Snooker Tour season. The tournament replaces the Xi’an Grand Prix, which occupied a slot on the calendar for the previous two seasons. Mark Williams enters the tournament as the defending champion and number one seed, having defeated Shaun Murphy in the final of the final Xi’an event to become snooker’s oldest-ever ranking event winner, according to totallysnookered.com.
Higher Ranked Players Start in Later Rounds
The Shenzhen Open utilizes a tiered tournament system designed to stagger the rounds. Players higher up the world rankings start in later rounds and need to win fewer matches than lower-ranked competitors. The top 32 seeds advanced straight through to the last 64 phase, while fixtures involving the top 16 stars were held over to the televised main venue stages in China. Out of the total field, 56 first-round matches were played ahead of time as qualifiers in England, hoerzu.de reported.
Match Lengths Increase as Tournament Progresses
Match lengths increase progressively through the rounds in Shenzhen. All fixtures are played as the best of nine frames up to and including the quarter-finals. The semi-finals step up to a best of 11 frames, and the two-session final is a best of 19 frames. The tournament schedule runs through a series of stages:
- Remaining Last 96 Matches: Monday, September 28
- Remaining Last 64 Matches: Monday, September 28 and Tuesday, September 29
- Last 32: Tuesday, September 29 and Wednesday, September 30
- Last 16: Thursday, October 1
- Quarter-Finals: Friday, October 2
- Semi-Finals: Saturday, October 3
- Final: Sunday, October 4
Winner Collects 177,000 Pounds from Prize Fund
The £850,000 prize fund is distributed across all stages of the competition, from the opening rounds through to the champion’s share. The winner collects £177,000, while losing quarter-finalists earn £22,350 each. Last 16 losers take home £12,500, last 32 losers receive £8,250, last 64 losers get £4,700, and last 96 losers collect £1,600, totallysnookered.com reported. In addition to the main prize pool, Chang Bingyu holds pole position for the highest break bonus after compiling a 147 maximum break during the qualifying rounds.
Broadcasting and International Coverage
Viewers in the UK and Ireland can watch the action via TNT Sports and HBO Max, while fans across mainland Europe and selected countries follow the tournament on Eurosport and HBO Max, totallysnookered.com stated. In China, coverage is broadcast through CCTV5, Huya, Migu, and the CBSA-WPBSA Academy WeChat Channel and Douyin accounts on a pay-per-view basis. Hong Kong viewers watch via Now Sports, and all other remaining territories access the matches through WST Play.
Top Contenders and Withdrawal Announcements
All of the world’s top 16 players originally entered the star-studded field, though Mark Allen subsequently withdrew from the event without playing a match this season, totallysnookered.com reported. The draw also spotlights recently-installed world number one Zhao Xintong, who plays in his home city during a critical week on the tour.
Where Is the Shenzhen Open Held?
Where is the Shenzhen Open held?
The tournament takes place at the Bao’an Sports Centre in Shenzhen, China.
Who won the previous iteration of this tournament?
Mark Williams won the preceding Xi’an Grand Prix, defeating Shaun Murphy in the final to become snooker’s oldest-ever ranking event winner.
What is the highest break recorded so far?
Chang Bingyu compiled a 147 maximum break during the qualifying rounds, putting him in line for the tournament’s highest break bonus.
More on Shenzhen Open
Keep reading