Shenzhen Open 2026 Preview: Everything You Need to Know
The Shenzhen Open is a new addition to the World Snooker Tour, with the 2026 tournament marking the first time the event has been staged under the Shenzhen Open name.
The tournament replaces the Xi’an Grand Prix on the calendar and brings a strong field to Shenzhen, including home favourite Zhao Xintong alongside several of the sport’s biggest names.
With a £850,000 total prize fund and ranking points at stake, the event represents an important early-season opportunity for players looking to build momentum in the 2026/27 campaign.
Read on for the key details, including dates, venue information, the history behind the tournament, prize money and the leading names in the 2026 draw.
When Is The Shenzhen Open Snooker 2026?
The 2026 Shenzhen Open runs from Monday 28 September to Sunday 4 October 2026. It is a ranking event on the World Snooker Tour and is the sixth ranking tournament of the 2026/27 season.
Qualifying took place at the Mattioli Arena in Leicester from 19 to 22 July, with the successful qualifiers joining the top 16 seeds at the venue stages in Shenzhen. The opening-round matches involving the top seeds are being held over to the main tournament in China.
The tournament format is designed to build towards a best-of-19 final. The last 96 through to the quarter-finals are played over the best of nine frames, the semi-finals are best of 11, and the final is best of 19.
Where Is The Shenzhen Open Snooker 2026 Held?
The tournament is being staged at the Bao’an Sports Centre Gymnasium in Shenzhen, China. The Shenzhen Bay Sports Centre was used for the tournament’s official launch, while the competition itself is taking place at the Bao’an Sports Centre Gymnasium.
The venue is in Bao’an district, one of Shenzhen’s major urban districts. Shenzhen is located in Guangdong Province in southern China and is one of the country’s largest cities.
The move to Shenzhen represents a change of location for a tournament that previously operated as the Xi’an Grand Prix. The World Snooker Tour has relocated and rebranded the event for the 2026/27 season, giving it a new identity while retaining its place on the ranking-event calendar.
Who Won The Shenzhen Open Snooker Last Year?
There was no Shenzhen Open in 2025. The tournament is new for the 2026/27 season and replaces the Xi’an Grand Prix.
The relevant recent results come from the Xi’an Grand Prix. Mark Williams won the 2025 edition, beating Shaun Murphy 10–3 in the final. Williams had also become the oldest player to win a ranking event with that victory.
The inaugural Xi’an Grand Prix in 2024 was won by Kyren Wilson, who defeated Judd Trump 10–8 in the final.
Mark Williams enters the 2026 Shenzhen Open as the reigning champion of the tournament’s predecessor, although he is not a defending Shenzhen Open champion because this is the first edition under the new name.
What Is The Prize Money For The Shenzhen Open Snooker?
The 2026 Shenzhen Open has a total prize fund of £850,000, with £177,000 going to the champion. The event also offers £5,000 for the highest break.
The published prize-money structure is:
- Winner: £177,000
- Runner-up: £76,000
- Semi-finalists: £34,500 each
- Quarter-finalists: £22,350 each
- Last 16: £12,500 each
- Last 32: £8,250 each
- Last 64: £4,700 each
- Last 96: £1,600 each
- Highest break: £5,000
The £177,000 first prize makes the Shenzhen Open one of the significant events on the early 2026/27 calendar. As a ranking tournament, performances also contribute to the players’ official world-ranking prize-money totals.
Who Is The Favourite to Win The Shenzhen Open Snooker?
Zhao Xintong heads the rankings and is among the headline names, while Judd Trump, Ronnie O’Sullivan, Mark Selby, Mark Williams, Neil Robertson and Shaun Murphy are also in the field.
As the tournament progresses, results rather than pre-event expectations will determine which players reach the latter stages.
The first Shenzhen Open also guarantees a new name in the event’s history, while the tournament’s relocation from Xi’an adds another chapter to the history of this relatively young ranking event.
Bet on the Shenzhen Open at Bet442
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The tournament offers a variety of potential markets, although odds and availability can change as the competition progresses.
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