Has World Number 35 Cao Yupeng quit professional snooker for Chinese pool?

The 33 year-old is currently 35th in the world rankings - his highest ever position - but there has been speculation about his participation on the World Snooker Tour ever since the final round of 2024 World Championship qualifying a few months ago.

During the online broadcast of Judgement Day in Sheffield, it was suggested that it could be Cao's last professional snooker event as he was weighing up on whether to quit and move back to China to be with his young family.

Cao - who reached the last 16 at the Crucible during his rookie season in 2012 - lost that match 10-8 to fellow countryman Pang Junxu. He has not been seen on the pro tour since, opting not to enter the first four ranking events of the new 2024/25 season - the Championship League, Xi'an Grand Prix, Wuhan Open, British Open.

According to this Chinese website, three-time ranking event finalist Cao talked about his position on a Douyin live broadcast saying that he “would stop playing snooker.”

As well as being with his family back home, Cao could well decide to take up other cuesports full-time with the Chinese 8-ball (sometimes referred to as ‘Heyball’) and 9-ball circuits continuing to thrive with several big money events.

Only last year, Cao was runner-up at a Chinese Billiards tournament and received 100,000 Yuan (just over £10,000).

The winner of the 2025 Joy Heyball World Masters is set to pocket $700,000 (US Dollars)

Who is Cao Yupeng? Career snooker highlights and achievements

Cao Yupeng won the 2011 Asian Under-21 Snooker Championship in Iran - defeating Hossein Vafaei 7-3 in the final - to become a continental champion and qualify for the professional circuit for the first time.

In his maiden season, Cao won four qualifying matches in the 2012 World Championship to reach the Crucible where he stunned Mark Allen 10-6 in the opening round before being defeated by Ryan Day, 13-7.

Cao reached his first ranking event final in 2017 at the Scottish Open where he was pipped by Neil Robertson 9-8 having led 8-4 and missed the final black in frame 16 for the title.

Later in the same season, he made his second ranking final at the 2018 Gibraltar Open but lost 4-0 to Day.

A few months later, Cao was found guilty for match-fixing by snooker's authorities. Due to 'manipulating the outcome of matches', Cao served a ban from the professional circuit.

Cao's completed his ban in November 2020 and requalified for the World Snooker Tour in April 2021 through an event on the Chinese domestic circuit.

Since his return, Cao has been very consistent getting results, picking up prize money and going up the world rankings.

Only last season, he reached the final of the ranked Snooker Shoot Out and made the semi-finals of the World Grand Prix.