The World Snooker Tour has introduced the introduction of the Shenzhen Open, a brand new world rating occasion that may substitute the Xi’an Grand Prix on the calendar.
The match will retain the identical slot within the schedule, with the venue levels happening from September 28 to October 4 after qualifying rounds are held within the UK between July 19 and 22.
A complete prize fund of £850,000 shall be on supply, with the winner gathering £177,000.
The qualifying competitors will undertake a three-tier construction, however the high 16 seeds will as soon as once more have their opening matches held over to the venue in China.
Whereas the Xi’an Grand Prix solely made its debut in 2024, WST has elected to relocate and rebrand the match relatively than introduce a further rating occasion.
Shenzhen, positioned in Guangdong Province in southern China, is dwelling to round 17 million individuals and is the nation’s third-largest metropolis behind Beijing and Shanghai.
Broadly recognised as one among China’s main know-how and monetary hubs, it is going to now additionally change into one of many sport’s latest locations.
For snooker followers, Shenzhen’s biggest significance most likely lies elsewhere as it’s the dwelling metropolis of 2025 world snooker champion Zhao Xintong.
Few gamers have reworked the panorama of the game as shortly because the 29 year-old.
Zhao’s extraordinary triumph on the 2025 World Snooker Championship, when he turned the primary participant from China to seize the title on the Crucible Theatre, immediately established him as one of many sport’s largest points of interest.
He has loved loads of success since then too, and through an excellent 2025/26 marketing campaign Zhao collected 4 massive titles together with a clear sweep of the celebrated Gamers Collection occasions.
Certainly, the Cyclone seems on target to change into the game’s world primary at some stage this season.
China has lengthy been snooker’s most necessary abroad market, however Zhao’s emergence has given WST a real famous person round whom it may possibly proceed to construct.
It’ll be attention-grabbing to see what sort of hero’s welcome he’ll get when he competes in entrance of his dwelling viewers this yr.
The Shenzhen Open would be the third of 5 rating occasions staged in mainland China throughout the 2026/27 season.
WST chief government Simon Brownell welcomed the announcement by saying: “We’re thrilled to be bringing an enormous occasion to the unbelievable metropolis of Shenzhen for the primary time.”
“The followers there’ll get the chance to observe their heroes play reside and will probably be a incredible expertise for the highest gamers to go to one other new metropolis in China, as our sport continues to develop throughout the area.”
One side of the announcement does appear a bit unusual, although.
WST is treating the Shenzhen Open as a continuation of the Xi’an Grand Prix, that means Mark Williams will arrive because the defending champion after successful the title in Xi’an final yr.
Technically, that makes some sense as a result of the match occupies the identical place on the calendar.
But in actuality, it feels rather more just like the start of a totally new rating occasion.
The title has modified, the host metropolis has modified, the branding has modified, and even the “Grand Prix” identification has disappeared altogether.
It does, nonetheless, underline the urge for food for snooker in China’s largest cities, with extra of them seemingly desirous to safe a spot on the calendar.
Featured photograph credit score: WST
