Snooker’s 30 under 30: The brightest young stars of the baize

Snooker’s top stars are lasting longer than ever, with some of the best in the world now in their 50s and still competing for titles.

The legendary trio of Ronnie O’Sullivan, Mark Williams and John Higgins have all passed the half-century and all remain in the top 16 in the world rankings.

Then come the 40-somethings who are also as good as ever: Mark Selby, Neil Robertson, Shaun Murphy, Mark Allen and Barry Hawkins among them.

30 years old used to be seen as the beginning of the end on the baize, but now it seems unlikely to even be the halfway mark of a career.

That is not to say there aren’t young talents around, as we have seen at the Crucible of late, with the last two world champions lifting the trophy in their twenties.

It is as difficult as ever for youngsters to make the breakthrough, with legendary names somehow still producing brilliance for at lot longer than they ever did in the past.

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There are bright young things around on the professional tour, though, and here are the 30 youngsters shining brightest, ranked by both what they have done so far and what they are likely to achieve in the future.

30. Liam Davies – 19 – Wales

29. Iulian Boiko – 20 – Ukraine

Still just 20, it feels that Iulian Boiko has been around a while since first turning pro at 14. Progress has not been rapid since then, but has been noticeable, looking more comfortable on tour last season.

28. Wang Xinbo 18 – China

Only just turning pro this season, but Wang Xinbo could make quick strides up the rankings. Won his first ranking match three years ago as a wildcard and won two World Championship qualifiers comfortably in April. Looks great.

27. Michal Szubarczyk – 15 – Poland

The youngest ever professional could easily have gone his whole first season winless, but picked up some impressive victories. Notably two of those came in World Championship qualifying. He doesn’t turn 16 till January.

26. Lan Yuhao – 17 – China

It was just the odd win here and there in his first season on tour, but Lan Yuhao passes the eye test and looks to have a lot of potential. Mark Selby, Matthew Stevens and Michael Holt have all noted how good the teenager looks.

25. Artemijs Zizins – 20 – Latvia

Some big wins at key times last season over the likes of Ali Carter and Luca Brecel saw the Latvian cling onto his tour card. Isn’t delivering consistently yet, but progress continues.

24. Gao Yang – 21 – China

WSF Championship winner last year, Gao Yang is in his second stint on tour and is looking more the part. Two years on the spin he has won three matches in World Championship qualifying, but just missed out on the Crucible both times.

23. Long Zehuang – 29 – China

Quickly established himself as a solid mid-ranker since turning pro in 2023, but more steady than spectacular. A very good player, but not with the potential of some on this list.

22. Ben Mertens – 21 – Belgium

It’s been very under-the-radar progress from Ben Mertens, but into the top 64 in the world rankings at 21 is impressive. Still waiting for a deep run outside the Shootout, but it is coming.

21. Julien Leclercq – 23 – Belgium

The Belgian Beast has shown flashes, with a run to the Shootout final in 2023 and qualifying for the UK Championship last season, but it feels like there is plenty more to come from the 6’6″ giant.

20. Antoni Kowalski – 22 – Poland

Needed to win three World Championship qualifiers to save his tour card in April and he did just that, with impressive victories over Joe O’Connor and Jamie Jones. A confident character, he’s capable of kicking on now.

19. Jiang Jun – 20 – China

One frame away from a Crucible debut in April after beating Elliot Slessor in the penultimate round. A slightly odd player to watch, Jiang downed the likes of Mark Selby, Barry Hawkins, Dave Gilbert, Thepchaiya Un-Nooh, Chris Wakelin and Hossein Vafaei last season.

18. Louis Heathcote – 28 – England

Two of his three ranking quarter-finals have come in the last two seasons, so progress continues, but we are still waiting for a big breakthrough for the Hoover. The talent is there, but one thing he must start doing is win more matches on the road as Chinese events are a huge help on the rankings.

17. Liam Pullen – 20 – England

The Yorkshireman’s first two years on tour were tough, as you’d expect them to be, but last season he started showing what he’s got. Wins over the likes of John Higgins and Chris Wakelin, a first ranking quarter-final and winning four matches to make a Crucible debut.

16. He Guoqiang – 25 – China

A Crucible debut this year – beating Jack Lisowski in qualifying – continued He’s rapid progress since turning pro in 2023. He has two wins under his belt over Ronnie O’Sullivan, plus victories over the likes of Neil Robertson, Wu Yize, Kyren Wilson and Barry Hawkins.

15. Liu Hongyu – 22 – China

Made a splash in his first season by making the semi-finals of the 2023 English Open, beating Shaun Murphy, Chris Wakelin, Mark Williams and Ding Junhui en route. That remains his most impressive performance, but he has been steady in climbing the rankings.

14. Lyu Haotian – 28 – China

One ranking final, four more semis and four trips to the Crucible, it’s a very decent return, but Lyu Haotian’s progress has stalled. He sits at number 61 in the world rankings, having reached 24 at one stage, but there is clearly great talent in there.

13. Jackson Page – 24 – Wales

Action Jackson is becoming a more regular face at the business end of events, with a ranking final and four quarter-finals over the last two seasons but consistency is still evading him. Progress seemed to stall a bit over the last campaign, but is devastating when he hits form.

12. Xu Si – 28 – China

The 2024/25 season was Xu Si’s best of his career, but the last campaign saw him return to the unspectacular results of previous years. He looks great at times, making three maximums, but consistency is still lacking after nine years on tour.

11. Yuan Sijun – 26 – China

Turning pro in 2017, Yuan Sijun has been a coming man for nearly a decade but he is still yet to arrive. There’s still plenty of time and is impressively ranked 30 in the world, but he is still to fulfil the potential he was showing a few years ago.

10. Aaron Hill – 24 – Ireland

Two 147s last season and a third ranking quarter-final continued the Irishman’s march up the world rankings to well inside the top 50. Improvements are clear and the next step seems imminent, perhaps semi-finals Triple Crown qualification.

9. Fan Zhengyi – 25 – China

Out of nowhere Fan Zhengyi beat a load of top players including Ronnie O’Sullivan in the final to win the 2022 European Masters. He hasn’t really seemed like repeating that since, but three wins in World Championship qualifying this year and then an epic 10-9 loss to Shaun Murphy saw him looking good again.

8. Stan Moody – 19 – England

The teenager reached his first two ranking quarter-finals last season and is up to a career high ranking of 40 after making a Crucible debut in April. He may have lost that World Championship opener to Kyren Wilson, but a thrilling opening session showed what a danger he is to anyone. He beat Wilson, John Higgins, Ali Carter (twice), Barry Hawkins, Ding Junhui and Zhou Yuelong (twice) last season.

7. Lei Peifan – 23 – China

The 2024 Scottish Open victory was entirely out of the blue but was a stunning win. He has backed it up to an extent, qualifying for the Crucible twice since and beating defending champion Kyren Wilson there last year. He came through UK Championship qualifying in each of the last two seasons as well, so is racking up serious experience for his age.

6. Pang Junxu – 26 – China

One of the least flashy youngsters to emerge from China in recent years but one of the more effective. He has a ranking final and two semis to his name and has reached the Crucible four years on the bounce. Wins a lot of games and looks a pain to play, which is a compliment.

5. Si Jiahui – 23 – China

After his incredible World Championship semi-final run in 2023 it looked like Si Jiahui was the next big star. It continued to look like that when he reached the German Masters and Wuhan Open finals, while he also beat Ronnie O’Sullivan and Judd Trump in spectacular fashion in big events. Last season saw him stall and drop behind a couple of compatriots on this list, but clearly the game is in there.

4. Chang Bingyu – 23 – China

Back on tour last season after a ban, it was an eye-catching return and there is a lot of excitement about what Chang Bingyu can produce in the coming campaign. A ranking final, two 147s and a whitewash win over Shaun Murphy with 100 per cent pot success were notable highlights of the 2025-26 season. On his way to the Scottish Open final he beat Stephen Maguire, Si Jiahui, Kyren Wilson, Mark Selby and Mark Allen.

3. Zhou Yuelong – 28 – China

Turning professional in 2014 with a huge amount of expectation, it is surprising Zhou Yuelong is yet to land a ranking title, but he has come close, with four finals to his name. Because we have seen so much of him it is tempting to think he may have peaked, but he could easily replicate thetitle-winning success of the likes of Xiao Guodong and Zhang Anda. In fact, his ceiling is probably higher.

2. Wu Yize – 22- China

Crucible success in May turned Wu Yize into a superstar as he became the second youngest world champion ever. It was just his second ranking title, but he could rack up a huge amount over the next 20 years.

1. Zhao Xintong – 29 – China

Wu Yize has pushed hard for top spot, but Zhao Xintong still holds on for now after a brilliant season as world champion saw him add three more ranking titles to his collection.

He doesn’t turn 30 until April next year and we can expect a few more trophies on the mantlepiece by then.