Snooker fans are in for a major treat as the 2026 China Open is set to take place in Taiyuan, a city in northern China, from 8 to 16 August. This tournament is not just any event—it is poised to be the most lucrative and significant snooker competition ever held in the Far East. With a total prize fund of over £1.2 million, the winning player will take home a staggering £250,000. This marks a new era for snooker in the region, promising top-level action and high stakes.
The tournament’s return after a seven-year gap
The China Open is making a much-anticipated comeback to the top-tier snooker calendar after a seven-year absence. The last time it was played was back in 2019, with the 2020 edition being scrapped due to the global pandemic. The event has a storied history, having first been held in 1999. Over the years, it has seen some of the sport’s greatest stars raise the trophy, including Ronnie O’Sullivan, who famously won back-to-back titles in the tournament’s inaugural years. Ding Junhui and Judd Trump also both made their breakthrough by claiming their first major crowns on Chinese soil. Neil Robertson, the last man to hoist the trophy, did so in 2019, while legends such as Mark Williams and Mark Selby have both won it three times apiece, cementing their place in the event’s history.
The draw and format
The main draw of the 2026 China Open will feature a total of 34 players. Of these, 16 are the highest-ranked players in the world, automatically securing their spots in the main event. The remaining 16 players are qualifiers, with two of them being Chinese amateur wildcards. The qualifying rounds took place in June at the Mattioli Arena in Leicester. This round was structured with tiered seeding, meaning the lowest-ranked players had to start in round one, while those ranked 17th through to 48th entered in round three. This ensured a fair and competitive path to the main draw.
The format of the 2026 China Open is very similar to the UK Championship. All matches leading up to and including the semi-finals will be played as the best of 11 frames. The final, however, will be a two-session affair contested over the best of 19 frames. Neil Robertson is seeded as the top player in the draw, followed by reigning World Champion Wu Yize in second position, with world number one Judd Trump occupying the third seed. The remaining seeds are determined based on the latest world rankings. The tournament is in terms of format and prize money equal to the UK Championship.
The wildcard matches kick off the tournament on Saturday, 8 August. Qualifiers Hossein Vafaei and Anthony McGill will face off against the two selected Chinese amateur wildcards in a special round before the main competition gets underway later in the day. This gives the amateurs a chance to shine on one of snooker’s biggest stages while also testing the nerves of the professionals.
A nine-day event with key matches and moments
The China Open will last for nine days, with two tables in operation until the weekend of the final. The action will stretch from the first round on Saturday 8 August through to the final on Sunday 16 August. This extended schedule allows for a rich and varied set of matches, giving fans plenty to look forward to. Some of the most anticipated fixtures include Mark Selby taking on Pang Junxu, and Ronnie O’Sullivan facing the young challenge of Jackson Page. Ding Junhui, a snooker icon in China, will be in action against David Gilbert, adding more intrigue to the competition.
The draw for the tournament has been finalized and features a mix of snooker’s biggest stars and rising talents. Zhao Xintong, Shaun Murphy, and Barry Hawkins are among the names to watch, all seeded in the top 16. With world number one Judd Trump and the ever-charismatic O’Sullivan in the field, the competition promises to be as intense as it is entertaining.
The return of the China Open to the top-tier calendar is more than just a sporting event—it is a cultural moment for snooker in the region. With a record-breaking purse and the best players in the world competing, the tournament aims to reignite interest in the sport in the Far East and honor the legacy of past champions who have helped shape the game’s history.
The 2026 China Open will see the top six players compete for first place in the world rankings, as Judd Trump will be losing around a third of his world ranking points at the end of the month. It replaces the cancelled Saudi Masters, which, despite a ten-year deal with Barry Hearns' company Matchroom, the main shareholder of the World Snooker Tour, has only been held twice in 2024 in Riyadh and 2025 in Jeddah. As a result, seven major tournaments will be held in China and Hong Kong this season.
In total, Allen will be without prize money for about four months, unless he is able to participate in the British Open starting on 31 August.
Michael Holt is a favorite for the prize, having celebrated his first maximum break in his career against Mark Joyce in his qualifying match. The results of the China Open 2026 are listed on the websites of the World Snooker Tour and the scoring service snooker.org.