Wu Yize

Wu Yize (Chinese: 吴宜泽; pinyin: Wú Yízé, pronounced [ǔ ǐ.tsɤ̌], approximately OO EE-TSUH; born 14 October 2003) is a Chinese professional snooker player who won the 2026 World Snooker Championship. Born in Lanzhou in the Gansu province of northwestern China, Wu began training at the Yushan International Billiards Academy at age 11. He moved to Sheffield, England, with his father at age 16 and turned professional in 2021, aged 17. Known for his attacking style of play, he won his first ranking title at the 2025 International Championship by defeating John Higgins 10–6 in the final, which enabled him to enter the top 16 in the snooker world rankings. He reached the semi-finals of the 2026 Masters on his debut and made his first maximum break in professional competition during the 2026 Championship League. At the 2026 World Snooker Championship, Wu made his third appearance at the main stage of the tournament, having lost in the first round in 2023 and 2025. He defeated Mark Allen 17–16 in the semi-finals and Shaun Murphy 18–17 in the final to win his second ranking title and first world title. He was the second-youngest winner in professional snooker history, after Stephen Hendry in 1990. Following his World Championship victory, he reached fourth in the world rankings.