Zhao Xintong
A Sudden Health Blow for the Champion
In a sobering update, world snooker champion Zhao Xintong has revealed that a serious illness has been affecting his vision and overall physical condition, forcing him to postpone his return to competition indefinitely. The 28-year-old Chinese cue-sport prodigy, who captured global attention by winning the 2025 World Snooker Championship, has disclosed that the symptoms began impacting his performance in recent events.
Zhao candidly described the severity of his condition: “When I have long pots, I can’t see anything… when I put my hand on the table, I’m a bit dizzy.” He further admitted that even the medicine he’s taking to manage the illness has hindered his concentration and in-match focus.
This health development is particularly jarring given the meteoric rise Zhao has enjoyed—from a suspended tour status to lifting snooker’s most coveted trophy just months ago.
The Rise to Glory – and the Storm Before the Calm
Zhao’s journey to the top of the snooker world has been anything but ordinary. Known by the nickname “The Cyclone”, he turned professional in 2016 and steadily climbed the rankings.
Despite a suspension in early 2023 linked to betting/match-fixing matters, he returned to competitive form in 2024 and delivered arguably the greatest triumph of his career: winning the World Snooker Championship in 2025 after qualifying as an amateur.
That historic victory made him the first Asian player, and the first amateur, to secure that title—cementing his status as a rising global star in the sport.
However, since that peak moment, Zhao’s results have shown signs of strain. At the recently concluded Northern Ireland Open, he was defeated 4-0 in the opening round and later acknowledged the ongoing health issues as a likely root cause.
What He’s Facing Now
According to Zhao’s own account, multiple symptoms are plaguing him:
- Visual impairment: he struggles to clearly see the opposite end of the table, which is of course critical in snooker where accuracy and sight-lines matter hugely.
- Dizziness when assuming his stance: “When I put my hand on the table, I’m a bit dizzy.”
- Medication side-effects: the treatment he’s undergoing is affecting his ability to concentrate.
In short: even though Zhao says his condition has improved somewhat, he emphasises that it is not ready for competition and needs more time to properly recover.
He was quoted as saying:
“Now it’s better. A few days ago, the body was not very good, I was not well, but I just keep trying to get better… Snooker’s a very tough game… Maybe need a few days, or maybe one or two months and I’ll come back.”
Yet even that time-frame is tentative: he acknowledges that it could well be longer than a couple of months, given the nature of his symptoms.
What This Means for His Career & the Sport
The implications of Zhao’s health setback are significant—not just for his own career, but also for the wider snooker world:
- Loss of momentum: Zhao’s championship win generated considerable buzz, especially as a landmark for Chinese and Asian snooker. A long absence now threatens that momentum.
- Competitive landscape shifts: With Zhao sidelined, other contenders may fill the void at major tournaments, reshuffling the competitive order.
- Physical demands of snooker underscored: While we often think of snooker as a mental and technical game, Zhao’s situation is a reminder that athletes must also maintain peak physical and sensory condition.
- Health transparency: It takes courage for a top-player to publicly disclose such personal health issues. His openness may encourage broader awareness of athlete health in cue-sports.
What’s Next: Monitoring & Recovery
At this stage, a precise return date for Zhao is still unknown. He has effectively paused competition entry until he regains full physical and visual stability.
Key steps ahead:
- Medical assessment: While Zhao has described symptoms, exact diagnosis details have not been publicly disclosed; further specialist checks are likely.
- Physical training re-entry: Once vision and balance/stability improve, he will need to return to cue-and-table work to re-calibrate his eye-hand coordination.
- Tournament readiness: Only when he feels confident about competing at the highest level will he re-engage with ranking events.
- Mental rehabilitation: Such health disruptions can impact confidence; rebuilding match-sharpness, rhythm and self-belief will be part of the comeback.
Final Thoughts
Zhao Xintong’s revelation of being debilitated by illness—especially one that affects his vision and dizziness—marks a sobering moment in his promising career. For a player who scaled the heights so rapidly, it is a stark reminder of how delicate the intersection of physical health and elite performance truly is.
While fans and the snooker community hope for his swift and full recovery, the correct pace and care will be essential. Rushing back could risk longer-term damage or undermine his performance quality when he does return.
For now, we await the better news: that Zhao has fully regained his clarity of sight, steadiness, and competitive edge—and that one of snooker’s brightest talents will be back in his element, cue in hand.
Leave a Reply