Updated world snooker rankings after 2025 Wuhan Open: Xiao Guodong up into career-high top eight

Xiao ousted Gary Wilson 10-9 in a thrilling final on Saturday in the Far East to join an exclusive club of players who have successfully defended their maiden ranking event crown.

The £140,000 top prize that Xiao collects lifts him six places in the updated global standings from 14th to 8th, putting him ahead of players such as Mark Selby (9th) and Mark Allen (10th).

In the end-of-season provisional rankings, Xiao is ranked even higher, so he should have no top 16 concerns this season, which would mean a Masters debut in January at the Alexandra Palace in London.

Xiao's game has been transformed over the past 12 months as he has become one of the most consistent players on the World Snooker Tour. During that time he has won two ranking titles, been a losing semi-finalist three times, and a losing quarter-finalist four times. He was also runner-up on debut in the invitational Champion of Champions.

Runner-up Wilson will be disappointed to have got so close to a fourth ranking trophy, but his run to the Wuhan final represents a return to form having appeared in only one quarter-final last season.

The £63,000 he pockets for his efforts pushes him back into the elite top 16 bracket, and as a consequence, he dislodges Shaun Murphy (down one to 17th), who finds himself outside the 16 for the first time since 2006.

Race for world number one and the remaining top 16 places

Judd Trump remains as the world number one, and although his advantage at the top was cut slightly, he is still over £600,000 clear of second-placed Kyren Wilson.

In fact, there are no positional movements inside the top seven following the latest rankings revision (Trump, K. Wilson, Robertson, O’Sullivan, M. Williams, Higgins, Ding), although Williams was the biggest points gainer from this batch of players after his Wuhan Open semi-final finish.

Barry Hawkins drops four places from 8th to 12th because of his 2023 European Masters winning prize money coming off his cumulative two-year total.

Elsewhere in the rankings, there was hardly any movement in the 17 to 32 bracket, with players stationed 21st (Stuart Bingham) to 32nd (Zhou Yuelong) not changing positions at all.

The biggest mover in the 33 to 64 section was teenager Stan Moody who rises four places to 57th courtesy of his maiden ranking event quarter-final.

As Moody doesn’t have a great deal of prize money to defend from two seasons ago (his rookie term), he is likely to go further up the ranks in the coming months as he continues to establish himself on the sport’s top flight.

Luca Brecel drops one place to 41st. The 2023 World Champion has yet to feature this season, but is set to make his competitive return at the upcoming Xi’an Grand Prix qualifiers in Leicester.

Ireland’s number one Aaron Hill is up two to 45th after a last 16 result in Wuhan. Scott Donaldson is up three to 54th, while Mark Davis is down three to 59th.

The rankings picture outside the top 64 can be a confusing one with players at different stages of their tour card, so it’s not necessarily a true reflection of where they really are in the hierarchy.

Having said that, Chinese youngster Chang Bingyu - who is back this season after serving a ban and getting back on tour - already has £40,000 to his name, and with more to come having qualified for the British Open.

Reanne Evans has already collected £15,000 this season, with more to come at the British Open.

Visit snooker.org here for the full, unofficial updated rankings after the 2025 Wuhan Open, including positional changes.