Wu Yize beat Shaun Murphy by 18-17 in the final of the 2026 World Championship at the Crucible Theatre yesterday night to become the 2026 World Snooker Champion.
Congratulations Wu Yize
Here is the report shared by WST:
WU RULES THE WORLD AFTER CLASSIC CRUCIBLE FINAL
Wu Yize conquered the Crucible for the first time and became the second consecutive Chinese winner as he beat Shaun Murphy 18-17 in one of the all-time great finals at the Halo World Championship.
This was an outstanding contest, with three centuries, 29 more breaks over 50 and an average frame time of just 17 minutes, as both players favoured an attacking strategy. Wu’s courageous potting was most evident in the deciding frame – the first in a Crucible final since 2002 – as he was faced with a difficult red to centre, dropped it into the heart of the pocket, and went on to compile a fantastic break of 85 to land the trophy and £500,000 top prize.
Following Zhao Xintong’s historic triumph a year ago, as the first Chinese World Champion, Wu has followed in his footsteps and again the images of his celebration draped in his country’s flag will echo around the globe. Age 22 and 202 days, he is the second youngest ever World Champion, after Stephen Hendry who was 21 in 1990. He becomes the 25th player to hold the famous silverware at the Crucible, and for the first time there have been four consecutive maiden winners as Wu follows Luca Brecel in 2023 (age 28), Kyren Wilson in 2024 (age 32) and Zhao in 2025 (age 28).
CRUCIBLE FINAL DECIDERS
THIS WAS THE FIRST 18-17 SCORELINE IN 24 YEARS
1985: Dennis Taylor 18-17 Steve Davis 1994: Stephen Hendry 18-17 Jimmy White 2002: Peter Ebdon 18-17 Stephen Hendry 2026: Wu Yize 18-17 Shaun Murphy
Wu first came to the UK age 16 and initially lived in Sheffield in a windowless apartment with his father Wu Jiepin which was so small that they had to share a bed. He turned pro in 2021 and was named Rookie of the Year after his first season, then made gradual progress including runs to the final of the English Open and Scottish Open in 2024. This has been his breakthrough season, winning his first ranking title at the International Championship in November when he beat John Higgins in the final. That boosted him into the world’s top 16 and on his Masters debut in January he reached the semi-finals.
Wu had never won a match at the Crucible before this year, losing in the first round in his previous appearances in 2023 and 2025, but given his audacious talent and composure under pressure he was considered a true contender this time. Victories over Lei Peifan, Mark Selby and Hossein Vafaei put him into the semi-finals where he won a thrilling battle with Mark Allen 17-16, before another classic victory against Murphy. It’s his second title and he leaps from tenth to fourth in the Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings.
”I am so happy I could play like that today,” said Wu. ”I played for my family, for myself and for China. My parents are the true champions. Since I made the decision to drop out of school, my dad has been by my side. My mum has also been through so much over the years. They are the source of my strength and I love them so much.
”I can’t thank the fans enough, no matter who you support, the love for snooker is mutual. I just want to have a good sleep! Since the second session I have been feeling nerves so right now I want to go to bed!”
I’m very happy for Wu. I like his game, I like the way he goes about his shots. I like the youthful audacity. I’m happy for his parents as well. I’m certain that they made any number of sacrifices to allow him to pursue his dreams and yesterday that dream became reality and they were in the arena to witness it and on stage to celebrate with him. 💕
6 thoughts on “Wu Yize is the 2026 World Champion”
It was one of the best World Championships I can remember in terms of drama. There were some extremely tense matches, particularly the semi-finals and final.
What won it for Wu Yize was his remarkable ability to bounce back from setbacks, plus a little luck. There were many times when I thought he’d blown his chance. As for luck, the secret of being lucky is to grab it with both hands, when it comes within range. I first saw Wu play when he was 14, and have watched him learn season by season. This tournament he seemed to learn session by session, even frame by frame. He missed a simple black at 17-16, with the pressure of winning the World Championship affecting his concentration. But then in the decider he did not make the same mistake, clearly realising that at that stage, things do feel different.
The last decider in the World Championship was before Wu Yize was born. It’s wonderful to have a 22-year old as champion. This will give every young player an added sense of belief, that the established array of great players who have dominated for such a long time are now beatable.
On a personal note, I missed some matches in the first week after a house fire, which left me in hospital for 3 days. I’m fine now, but my house is badly damaged. However it’s been a great comfort to see such an absorbing World Championship, with a great narrative and a positive message for the future!
My fault. I’m very sorry for suspecting the referee. Marko is right indeed. In fact I apparently saw the black but didn’t realise it wasn’t at all on its spot but much closer to the cushion. I should have get my eyes tested … Anyway many thanks to Marko for throwing light on my confusion.
Dear Monique, thank you so much for keeping us informed despite your computer problems. As to the WC result: Even if I dont’ dislike Shaun Murphy I’m so very happy about Wu Yize winning the world title. He’s a really wonderful young talent, and I love watching him and his way playing the game. Still there’s something bothering me. In the very last frame of the WC, when Murphy having 8 and Wu having 47 points, why did the referee replace the pink ball the way he did? Shouldn’t he put it on the highest free spot instead, which in this case was the brown spot? It certainly wouldn’t have changed anything about the final result, still maybe there’s someone who can explain me this. Thanks for any information. Ute from Germany
It was one of the best World Championships I can remember in terms of drama. There were some extremely tense matches, particularly the semi-finals and final.
What won it for Wu Yize was his remarkable ability to bounce back from setbacks, plus a little luck. There were many times when I thought he’d blown his chance. As for luck, the secret of being lucky is to grab it with both hands, when it comes within range. I first saw Wu play when he was 14, and have watched him learn season by season. This tournament he seemed to learn session by session, even frame by frame. He missed a simple black at 17-16, with the pressure of winning the World Championship affecting his concentration. But then in the decider he did not make the same mistake, clearly realising that at that stage, things do feel different.
The last decider in the World Championship was before Wu Yize was born. It’s wonderful to have a 22-year old as champion. This will give every young player an added sense of belief, that the established array of great players who have dominated for such a long time are now beatable.
On a personal note, I missed some matches in the first week after a house fire, which left me in hospital for 3 days. I’m fine now, but my house is badly damaged. However it’s been a great comfort to see such an absorbing World Championship, with a great narrative and a positive message for the future!
My fault. I’m very sorry for suspecting the referee. Marko is right indeed. In fact I apparently saw the black but didn’t realise it wasn’t at all on its spot but much closer to the cushion. I should have get my eyes tested … Anyway many thanks to Marko for throwing light on my confusion.
Dear Monique, thank you so much for keeping us informed despite your computer problems. As to the WC result: Even if I dont’ dislike Shaun Murphy I’m so very happy about Wu Yize winning the world title. He’s a really wonderful young talent, and I love watching him and his way playing the game. Still there’s something bothering me. In the very last frame of the WC, when Murphy having 8 and Wu having 47 points, why did the referee replace the pink ball the way he did? Shouldn’t he put it on the highest free spot instead, which in this case was the brown spot? It certainly wouldn’t have changed anything about the final result, still maybe there’s someone who can explain me this. Thanks for any information. Ute from Germany
I can’t tell you. I was not able to watch the match … 😞
If I remember correctly, didn’t he spot the pink on the black spot, which was free at the time?
Thank you Mark. Very strange indeed.