Everything you need to know ahead of the 2026 China Open as Neil Robertson bids to make a successful defence of his crown in Taiyuan.
The Australian heads back to Asia on the back of his triumph there last year where he saw off Jack Lisowski 11-4 in a one-sided final.
But with a star-studded field of players featuring in the upcoming event, the former world number one knows he will have his work cut out in attempting to retain hold of the coveted title.
China Open - Date
When is the China Open?
The China Open will get underway on Saturday 8th August and run through until its completion on Sunday 16th August, 2026.
China Open - Prize Money
Winner: | £250,000 |
Runner-Up: | £100,000 |
Semi-Final Losers: | £50,000 |
Quarter-Final Losers: | £25,000 |
Last 16: | £15,000 |
Last 32: | £10,000 |
Last 48: | £7,500 |
Last 80: | £5,000 |
Last 112: | £2,500 |
Highest Break: | £15,000 |
The tournament has a total prize fund of £1.2 million, with £250,000 being allocated for the winner.
There is also a £15,000 reward for the player/s who records the highest tournament break.
China Open - Venue & Location
The China Open will be staged at the Riverside Sports Centre in Taiyuan, China.
Leicester's Mattioli Arena hosted the qualifiers last month, with the final 32 players then travelling to China for the latter stages.
China Open - Players
Who is playing in the China Open?
Players ranked one to 16 secured automatic qualification to the last 32, with each of the players being allocated a seeded spot.
The likes of Ronnie O'Sullivan, Judd Trump, Zhao Xintong, Wu Yize and Ding Junhui will all be in attendance.
China Open - Draw
First Round
- Neil Robertson v Chang Bingyu
- Si Jiahui v Jiang Jun
- Mark Selby v Pang Junxu
- Kyren Wilson v Aaron Hill
- John Higgins v Stuart Bingham
- Mark Allen v TBC
- Chris Wakelin v Tom Ford
- Zhao Xintong v Zhang Anda
- Judd Trump v Noppon Saengkham
- Ronnie O'Sullivan v Jackson Page
- Xiao Guodong v TBC
- Shaun Murphy v Matthew Selt
- Mark Williams v Zhou Yuelong
- Barry Hawkins v Liu Hongyu
- Ding Junhui v David Gilbert
- Wu Yize v Yao Pengcheng
China Open - Format
What is the format of the China Open?
Matches between the first round (last 32) and the semi-finals will be played over a best-of-11 frame format.
The final, which will take place over two sessions, is set to be a race to 10 frames (best-of-19).
China Open - Wild Card Round
What is the wildcard round in the China Open?
A wildcard round also known as the last 34 will be held prior to the last 32, in which two qualifiers from the qualifying rounds will be randomly drawn against two Chinese wildcard players.
The winner of each wildcard match will progress to the last 32 to play either Mark Allen or Xiao Guodong in the last 32.
China Open - History
The China Open is a staple on the World Snooker Tour with the inaugural staging of the event taking place back in 1985.
Steve Davis reigned supreme on that occasions, beating Dennis Taylor in the final, although it was then a non-ranking competition.
It was upgraded to a fully fledged ranking event in 1999 with Mark Selby and Mark Williams the most successful players in the tournament's history, having both captured the crown on three occasions.
Neil Robertson returns as the reigning champion following his victory over Jack Lisowski 12 months ago.
