China’s Wu Yizi poses for the media with the trophy after winning the World Snooker Championship by defeating England’s Shaun Murphy in Sheffield, England, Monday, May 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Ian Hodgson)
After collecting £500,000 to win the 2026 World Snooker Championship, the new world champion hinted at plans for a future buy-in in Sheffield worth around half his earnings following his dramatic 18-17 win over Shaun Murphy in the Crucible final on Monday. The 22-year-old became the second-youngest man to win the world title after beating Murphy in the deciding frame, continuing a run through a tournament that included victories over Mark Selby, Lee Bevan, Hussein Vafai and Mark Allen before the final.
England’s Shaun Murphy during his match against China’s Wu Yizi on day 16 of the 2026 World Snooker Championship in Sheffield, England, Sunday, May 3, 2026. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)
Wu defeated Northern Irishman Mark Allen 17-16 in the semi-finals after another close contest, while his win over Murphy made him only the second Chinese player to lift the world title after Zhao Xintong, who won the tournament last year. Chow’s career was previously halted after he received a 20-month ban in 2023 for his involvement in match-fixing and betting offences, although he made a comeback through the Q amateur tour after his ban ended and reached the quarter-finals this year before losing to Murphy.
Wu reflects on the sacrifices his family has made
Speaking to CGTN in an exclusive post-match interview, Wu described the win as “unbelievable” and spoke emotionally about the sacrifices his parents made during his journey from Lanzhou to Sheffield.
Wu moved to Sheffield at the age of sixteen alongside his father, Wu Jianguo, while his mother, Gu Bin, remained in China due to ongoing health problems. During his early years in England, Wu and his father lived in a small one-bedroom apartment and shared the same bed while he tried to establish himself professionally. “There’s a lot I want to tell them,” Wu told a CGTN reporter. “I’m really grateful, they’ve been with me since I was little, supporting me all the way.
No matter what happens, they are always there supporting me. “I’m really grateful to them.”
China’s Wu Yizi stands in front of the media with the trophy, wearing the national flag of China, after winning the World Snooker Championship by defeating England’s Shaun Murphy in Sheffield, England, Monday, May 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Ian Hodgson)
The new world champion also spoke about the difficult living conditions he experienced after arriving in Sheffield. “I never thought about giving up,” Wu said. “Obviously that was a very difficult period for me. Living in such bad conditions, I had a lot of acne, probably due to an infection from the air conditioning. “But I think that’s the strength I’ve built up over the years. If you really love snooker, that’s a path you have to take and work your way through.”
The prize money is set to go towards properties in Sheffield
Despite receiving £500,000 ($680,000) for his Crucible win, Wu said he has no immediate plans for lavish spending and instead intends to invest in property in the city where he developed his game. Speaking to BBC Sport after the final, Wu said: “I don’t have any plans, I think I’ll buy a house or a flat in Sheffield for training and the World Championships. “I felt tired for one month, fighting every day. Now I can take a vacation, go back to China, get some good food and see my friends.”According to Rightmove, the average house price in Sheffield is currently just over £250,000 ($340,000), meaning Wu’s tournament winnings will comfortably cover the cost of an average property in the city where he began his professional career. His triumph also continued Chinese snooker’s recent rise on the sport’s biggest stage, with back-to-back Chinese champions now crowned at the Crucible following Zhao’s title win last year and Wu’s decisive victory over Murphy this week.