Zhao Xintong propelled into 'different financial universe' after World Championship win

Crucible hero has been tipped to earn multi-million pound deals by a sports finance expert after his groundbreaking victory. The Chinese potter arrived in Sheffield as an amateur for his role in a match-fixing scandal, but he proved his status was in name alone.

At just 28, Zhao , easing past the likes of before an obliteration of snooker great in the semis. A final date with was pencilled in, and Zhao did not disappoint. Heading into the last evening session of the showpiece, he led 17-8, and while his Welsh opponent didn't go out with a whimper, Crucible glory would be Zhao's by a score of 18-12, . China's star became the first Asian world champion, and a financial expert has now revealed that the trailblazing victory could see Zhao's economic status blossom.

Speaking via , Professor Rob Wilson, a leading sports finance expert, touched on the impact that Zhao's win will have on his bank balance, and just what the future may look like. "Winning the World Snooker Championship in itself will open the door to a completely different financial universe for Zhao Xintong," explained Wilson. "The title itself comes with half a million pounds worth of prize money. That's immediate.

"The bigger opportunity, of course, for him will be endorsement, sponsorships, and the exhibition circuit, especially given his marketability in China. We know that the Chinese population are avid followers of snooker, and of course, it is a major competition that's followed over in the Far East.

"We've seen players like Ding Junhui being able to tap into that domestic audience of essentially hundreds of millions. So if Zhao can leverage that sort of audience, you're looking at multi-million pound commercial deals across clothing, apparel, and equipment. They also do branded academies. There's one in Sheffield for Ding.

"Then, of course, there are media appearances, but with anything that I talk about in the context of sporting success, you know it's a big but. Whether he becomes the richest player of all time will depend on that sustained success that he will need over the next decade or so."

Wilson then touched on some of the potting legends that Zhao may surpass in career prize money, specifically mentioning the Chinese player's semi-final opponent, The Rocket.

"One title simply isn't enough. He'll need to build that legacy over the next five to 10 years at least to give him a platform with consistent top-tier performances," Wilson continued.

"If he's able to do that, you could probably realistically expect him to surpass even players like Ronnie O'Sullivan. O'Sullivan is on £15-20million career earnings when you factor in both prize money and off the table income. So it's a huge opportunity for Zhao, the first step in what could be a seriously lucrative financial journey."