Zhao Xintong Dominates 2026 Tour Championship to Complete Players Series Sweep

The 2026 professional snooker season reached a historic milestone at the Manchester Central, where Zhao Xintong delivered a masterclass in precision and power to claim the 2026 Sportsbet.io Tour Championship. By defeating Judd Trump 10–3 in the final, Zhao didn’t just secure a trophy; he became the first player in history to win all three events of the Players Series in a single season.

A Historic Sweep for Zhao Xintong

Zhao Xintong’s victory on April 5, 2026, marks a rare feat of consistency and dominance. Having already secured titles at the 2026 World Grand Prix and the 2026 Players Championship, the Tour Championship win completed a “triple crown” of the season’s Players Series.

This triumph represents Zhao’s sixth ranking title overall. His clinical performance in the final, where he dismantled Judd Trump 10–3, ensures he has won every ranking final he has entered thus far. Beyond the prestige, the victory was financially transformative; the £150,000 winner’s prize propelled Zhao to become the third player ever—following Ronnie O’Sullivan and Judd Trump—to surpass £1 million in prize money within a single season.

Road to the Final: Key Matchups

The Tour Championship features an elite field of the top 12 players from the one-year ranking list. The path to the podium was grueling, with every match played as a best-of-19 frames format.

The Semi-Final Clashes

• Zhao Xintong vs. John Higgins: Zhao faced the defending champion, John Higgins, in the semi-finals. In a dominant display, Zhao defeated Higgins 10–1, ending Higgins’ hopes of retaining his title.
• Judd Trump vs. Neil Robertson: In the other semi-final, Judd Trump overcame world number one Neil Robertson with a 10–4 victory to secure his place in the final.

Quarter-Final Highlights

The quarter-finals saw several tight contests, including Judd Trump’s narrow 10–9 victory over Shaun Murphy. It was during this match that Trump recorded a 140 break, which stood as the highest break of the tournament.

Tournament Logistics and Format

The 2026 Tour Championship served as the penultimate ranking event of the 2025–26 snooker season. Held from March 30 to April 5, the event utilized a unique seeding structure where the top four seeds received automatic entry into the quarter-finals, while seeds 5 through 12 competed in a preliminary round.

Notably, the field saw a late change when Ronnie O’Sullivan elected not to enter the tournament despite qualifying. This opened a spot for Mark Allen, the 13th-placed player on the one-year ranking list, who eventually lost 10–8 to Judd Trump in the first round.

Looking Ahead

With the Tour Championship concluded, the snooker world now turns its attention to the final and most prestigious event of the season: the 2026 World Snooker Championship. Zhao Xintong enters the championship as the man to beat, carrying unprecedented momentum after his historic Players Series sweep.