ZHAO XINTONG has surged up to world No7 after his dominant World Grand Prix triumph in Hong Kong.
The Chinese star pocketed £180,000 after beating compatriot Zhang Anda 10–6 in the final.
That payday has lifted the reigning World Snooker Champion one spot in the official two-year standings.
The 28-year-old now sits just one place shy of his career-high ranking following a week in which he rattled in five century breaks on his way to the title.
Zhao’s rise has come at the expense of Shaun Murphy, the former world champion and Triple Crown winner slipping down one spot to eighth.
At the very top, Judd Trump remains firmly world No1 despite an early exit, maintaining a healthy lead over Kyren Wilson in second.
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Neil Robertson stays third in the latest list, with veteran Mark Williams holding fourth.
There has been movement just behind them, however, with Mark Selby climbing one place to fifth after swapping positions with John Higgins, who drops to sixth following his quarter-final exit.
Xiao Guodong is another big mover, jumping into the top ten at nine after reaching the semi-finals, while Mark Allen edges down to tenth but remains among the elite.
Snooker legend, Ronnie O’Sullivan currently sits outside the top ten, at 11.
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The reshuffle comes with only a handful of ranking events remaining before Crucible seedings are locked in, meaning every result from here could prove decisive in the race to avoid the dreaded qualifiers in Sheffield.
Only the world’s top 16 players qualify automatically for the World Snooker Championship.
The next ranking event for the 2025/26 snooker season is not far away.
The Players Championship takes place next week, running from February 17th to 22nd in Telford, England.
Before then, the World Snooker Tour continues with the Championship League Snooker Winners’ Group taking place on February 10 and 11.
The World Open qualifiers are also scheduled this week, running from February 10 to 12 in Barnsley.
date: 2026-02-09 11:47:00