Beginning with the 2024–2025 season, the World Snooker Tour has announced the establishment of a new ranking Grand Prix in the Chinese city of Xi’an.

The winner will receive £177,000 out of a total prize money fund of £850,000 at the beginning, but that amount will rise in subsequent years.

In its first year, the Xi’an Grand Prix will take place from August 19–25. This makes five events for China’s next season confirmed.

Following confirmation by the World Snooker Tour that this August’s inaugural Xi’an Grand Prix will take place,

a new ranking event is set to debut in the 2024–2025 season.

The Shanghai Masters, Wuhan Open, International Championship,

and World Open are the other four events scheduled for China in the upcoming campaign that have been confirmed. This tournament is the fifth.

A total prize money purse of £850,000 will be available for the competition at first; however,

this will rise to £875,000 in 2025 and £900,000 in 2026. The champion of this year will take home £177,000.

It will take place from August 19–25 and be one of the first ranking events of the upcoming season.

For the sport, China is a profitable market where players frequently participate in high-profile demonstrations.

After some well-known players claimed they would be penalized if they skipped WST events in order to play in Asia,

the new competition could be able to provide a satisfactory resolution for all parties.

Now that Ronnie O’Sullivan declared late last year that he was at a “crossroads” in his career, players may be able to fit in lucrative exhibitions near Xi’an.

“If I can’t go out and do what I need to do – which is play a lot in China – then I won’t ever play again,”

“I can’t find enough here in the UK to make my efforts worthwhile.

I play for big audiences, wonderful venues, and great prize money whenever I travel to China.

And I adore it.”I most likely won’t play if it gets to the point where I can’t do that or am not permitted to do that.

I still want to play snooker, so I’ll probably go play Chinese 8 ball [pool]. I still desire to hold a cue.”

This season saw the first return of WST ranking events to China since before the implementation of the Covid restrictions.

WST Chairman Steve Dawson remarked,

“This is great news for our players and fans as we continue our global development and particularly our presence in China.”

For the first time since 2019, we were able to have events in China during the 2023–2024 season, and it was a huge success.

We were met with incredible support from our friends and partners in the places we visited,

including with three global ranking events and one invitation tournament.

We are overjoyed to reveal a brand-new event and to be traveling to the intriguing city of Xi’an, with its incredible history and culture, for the first time.

“Local supporters will get to witness their idols perform live.

Additionally, the players will have another chance to travel to a new place,

compete, and win a substantial amount of money.