How many World Championships will Zhao Xintong win? Fellow players have their say on 'little bit special' Chinese superstar’s future

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With the 2026 World Championships fast approaching, it is time to start talking about contenders for the tournament. One of them is undoubtedly Chinese superstar Zhao Xintong, with the soon-to-be 29-year-old looking to break the 'Crucible Curse' but just how many World Championships can he win? Some of the sport's biggest names have had their say and predict a bright future for Xintong.

Zhao feeling 'no pressure' ahead of World Championship defence, hails 'very talented' Moody

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It says a lot about how good a player is for several of their peers to heap praise on them but that is the case for Zhao Xintong.

Fresh from going from prodigy to outright superstar when becoming the first Chinese player to win the World Championship in 2025, Zhao, who turns 29 on Friday, has the snooker world at his feet.

He is among the favourites to defend his crown at the Crucible when play gets underway on April 18, despite history and a damning statistic that no first-time winner has successfully defended their crown at the World Championship since the event was moved to Sheffield in 1977.

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The ‘Crucible Curse’ as it is known, claimed Kyren Wilson last year, the 2024 champion who fell in the first round to Lei Peifan a year later.

But John Higgins, who himself fell to the curse in 1999 when losing to Mark Williams in the semi-finals after his triumph the year before, is confident that Xintong can lift the curse.

Watch: Zhao dazzles fans with INCREDIBLE one-handed pot in winning break

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He told The Metro: ”I think Xintong [is the favourite for the 2026 World Championships], the way he plays and how easy he wins frames, and just the way he goes about the patterns he’s got. I think Xintong is favourite.

”No, I don’t think so [the curse will play its part again]. He’s that special a player, I think.”

Barry Hawkins echoed Higgins’ sentiments, saying: ”Xintong, if anyone’s going to break the curse, it could be him.”

But how many World Championships can Zhao win?

He has one to his name but can he become the 14th player to win multiple World Championship titles?

Seven-time winner Stephen Hendry seems to think so, telling Channel Five: "He is the future of the game for the next 10 or 15 years.

”There's still a lot of great players who will have their say, but Zhao Xintong has something a little bit special.

"I will be shocked if he does not win at least four or five world titles."

Air Xintong! Zhao pulls off stunning pot while holding rest above table

Video credit: TNT Sports

High praise from a man who dominated the sport in the 1990s.

As does three-time champion Mark Williams, who was defeated a year ago by Zhao in the final.

He has compared him to Ronnie O’Sullivan, another seven-time winner of the World Championship.

Williams said: ”He is as good to watch as O’Sullivan was when he was younger.

”He just strolls around the table and pots balls from anywhere as if he doesn’t have a care in the world.

”Xintong is going to be a national hero now. He’ll be on the front page of every news outlet going and I’m sure there are Chinese companies ready to throw zillions at him.

”It’s great for our sport to have someone at the top who is so attacking and so young.”

Zhao has all the ability and the temperament to go on and push up the list for multiple winners, but how many will he win? Well, we will just have to wait and see.

Watch and stream the 2025/26 snooker season, including the 50th World Championship, live on TNT Sports and HBO Max.

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