Zhao Xintong Begins Title Defense at 2026 World Snooker Championship After Ban

Zhao Xintong has begun defending his world snooker title at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, facing English qualifier Liam Highfield in the opening round. The world number four won the first couple of frames in the match. The 2026 Halo World Snooker Championship started on April 18, 2026, and is scheduled to run until May 4, 2026.

This year's event commemorates 50 consecutive championships at the Crucible Theatre.

Sanctions Zhao Xintong was banned from snooker for 20 months after admitting to complicity in another competitor's manipulation of two matches in March 2022.

He also confessed to placing bets on snooker contests from 2019 to 2022, which breached the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association's conduct rules. His initial punishment was two and a half years, reduced to 20 months due to early cooperation and a guilty plea. The association required him to pay £7,500 toward investigation costs.

The broader investigation resulted in sanctions against 10 professionals in total.

Wenbo and Li Hang received lifetime bans for recruiting younger competitors into fixing schemes and attempting to conceal their actions.

Former Masters winner Yan Bingtao was suspended for five years. WPBSA Chairman Jason Ferguson described the situation as heartbreaking, noting that inexperienced players had been led astray by more established figures. The governing body stated that the penalties were intended to signal that corrupt behavior would face severe consequences in professional snooker.

Xintong's suspension ended on September 1, 2024.

Following the ban, he spoke publicly about his regrets, stating on social media that isolation in Britain led him to gambling and that he lacked the courage to refuse a close friend's request or report the fixing attempt. He returned through the amateur Q Tour, where strong performances allowed him to qualify for professional tournaments.