Chinese · Yuzhong, Chongqing, China · Born 10 February 1989Chinese professional snooker player who won back-to-back Wuhan Open titles in 2024 and 2025 after nearly two decades as a professional.
Born in Yuzhong, Chongqing, China, on 10 February 1989, Xiao Guodong turned professional in 2007 after winning the Asian Under-21 Championship. He was an early member of China's wave of professional players following Ding Junhui and Marco Fu, and reached the final of the first-ever all-Chinese ranking event final at the 2013 Shanghai Masters, losing to Ding Junhui. For much of his career Xiao was regarded as a talented journeyman, drifting in and out of the world's top 32 without a ranking title. His fortunes transformed in 2024 when, seventeen years after turning professional, he won his maiden ranking title at the Wuhan Open on home soil, beating Si Jiahui in the final. He defended the title in 2025, defeating Gary Wilson, becoming only the fourth player in professional snooker history to retain a maiden ranking title. He also reached the final of the Champion of Champions invitational in 2024, losing to Mark Williams. Xiao's career-high ranking of world number 8, reached in 2025, came nearly two decades into his professional career, making him one of the more notable late bloomers of the modern game. He has compiled over 360 century breaks and three maximum 147s. His sustained improvement in his mid-thirties, culminating in the Wuhan Open double, has been held up as an example of longevity and persistence on snooker's demanding professional tour.
Winning back-to-back Wuhan Open titles after nearly two decades as a professional
How They Played
Consistent all-round game with strong scoring ability
Lasting Impact
A late-career breakthrough success story among China's second generation of professionals
Chinese Athletes