'Fabulous player' Zhao Xintong looking to 'learn from' Ronnie O'Sullivan and Ding Junhui after slow start to season

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Zhao Xintong catapulted his career into the stratosphere with victory at the World Championship at the Crucible in Sheffield last season. His 2025/26 campaign has not started as he would have hoped, and the Chinese players has said he is on a learning curve. Watch and stream top snooker action, including the Xi’an Grand Prix, live and on demand on TNT Sports and discovery+.

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Zhao Xintong has said he needs to learn from Ronnie O’Sullivan and Ding Junhui about how to cope with stardom, and has sought out the greats of the sport for advice.

The Chinese player returned from a suspension in devastating fashion last term, as he worked his way through qualifying to win the World Championship.

His Crucible success elevated his status at home, and raised expectations for a player who has three ranking titles to his name.

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Kyren Wilson made a seamless transition to being world champion, winning four titles in the campaign following his success in Sheffield.

Zhao has made a slow start to the current season, with his run to the semi-finals of the Shanghai Masters being his best result, and he is viewing the next few months as a learning curve.

"This season has not gone really well for me so far," Zhao, who beat Ashley Hugill in the first round of the British Open, told ITV Sport. "This season I am trying to learn a lot to play under big pressure. I can do better."

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Being world champion brings huge expectation, and Zhao has said he needs to look at seven-time Crucible winner O'Sullivan and Chinese great Ding as examples to learn from.

"I know about the pressure, but it is very hard to control," he said. "So I have to learn from Ding and Ronnie because they do it well and play well in the moment [when under pressure]."

Zhao was asked if he had sought out Ding and O’Sullivan for advice, to which he replied: "Yes, sometimes.

"But it is hard to learn to deal with pressure, and you need the experience to do that.

"These few months are going to be good experiences for me."

English Open runner-up Zhou Yuelong said Zhao’s win had elevated him to superstar status in China, and the latter said he was enjoying being world champion.

"I am enjoying it," Zhao said. "But I know I need to play well and keep doing well and enjoy life [as world champion]."

Hendry surprised by slow start

Stephen Hendry is a seven-time world champion and knows about competing under the utmost pressure.

The Scot has been surprised by Zhao’s slow start, but expects him to win titles in the 2025/26 season.

"I think he is struggling on the table with expectation from himself and everyone else," Hendry said.

"I thought he might have won a tournament by now. I thought the way he breezed through the World Championship he would keep on going.

"It’s not easy with that expectation, but I would be surprised if he does not win at least two tournaments this season, he is that good."

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Neal Foulds, part of the TNT Sports snooker team, is hopeful Zhao can live up to the hype.

"He is brilliant," Foulds said. "Before the suspension he was already UK champion, so he has already hit those heights.

"He is the great hope for snooker that he is going to be this champion we think he might be.

"He is a fabulous player."

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Watch and stream top snooker action, including the Xi’an Grand Prix, live and on demand on TNT Sports and discovery+

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