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Wu Yize has opened up about the extraordinary sacrifices made by his hospitalised mother, which ultimately inspired him to claim the World Snooker Championship title. The young Chinese star fulfilled his greatest ambition by triumphing at the Crucible, becoming his nation's second consecutive champion following Zhao Xintong's victory 12 months prior.

Now 22, he has called Sheffield home for six years, having uprooted his life from his hometown of Lanzhou and relocating to Yorkshire alongside his father, Wu Jianguo. His mother, Guo Ping, remained behind in China, yet just two years into a challenging new life in England, she fell ill and was admitted to hospital.

Rather than summon her son and husband back home, she resolutely refused to consider it, urging them to remain in the UK - nearly 6,000 miles away - in pursuit of her son's ambitions.

The decision paid off in the most spectacular fashion, with Guo Ping reduced to tears at the Crucible as her son defeated Shaun Murphy to lift the trophy.

Wu shed light on the remarkable story behind his triumph, saying: "My mum wasn't in a very good health condition for a long time.

"During that time, when we were in Sheffield, she had been staying a lot in the hospital, so she's forever the source of strength to me.

"She sacrificed everything for me. At that time, she told me: Don't come back home, I can manage everything. It was the second year I was training and playing in the UK.

"At that time my ranking was very low, so it was a very crucial time for me to achieve some good results to keep my professional status. She means everything to me.

"She's been feeling much better now. This is the second time she's been visiting me in the UK. I think in the future, I will take her more to be by my side."

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His father, too, has been a constant pillar of support, and the early days were far from straightforward. Living in a cramped, windowless room and at times sharing a bed, it would have been entirely understandable to walk away.

But he said: "I never had a thought about giving up. Obviously at that time, it was a very tough moment in my life.

"Living in a poor condition like that, I had so much acne, maybe because of the air-conditioned infections.

"But I think that's the strength I've built over the years. If you really love sport, that's the path you have to go through and fight through."

Wu had declared ahead of the final that he intended to use a portion of his £500,000 winners cheque to purchase a home for his parents, and he confirmed afterwards: "I will probably buy here in the UK because, as a professional athlete, most of the time I'm training and playing here. After that, it's going to be future plans."

For now, however, it is all about relishing the achievement. Yize is heading home, though he will swiftly return to work.

He said: "I will give myself a few days off, maybe 10 days or a few more days. After that, I will go back to training because as a professional snooker player, when everything is already in the past, you have to move on and do your best again.

"I will travel back to China and I will celebrate with my family and friends. And then after that, I will go back to training."

It is a mindset entirely in keeping with the dedication and drive that has propelled both Xintong and now Yize to the pinnacle of the sport, with the 2026 champion suggesting the best is far from over: "I would hope so, because the Chinese players have been making so many improvements. I think more and more Chinese players can win this World Championship. The best is still yet to come for Chinese snooker."

This article first appeared on the Daily Record.