赛事由WST与中国台球协会、山西省体育局、太原市政府及相关机构联合举办，总奖金高达120万英镑，规模与规格全面升级。
资料图
本届比赛将有144名球员参赛，正赛阶段为32人，全部采用11局6胜制，两张球台同时进行，竞争节奏紧凑。
Interviewed by May Zhao
WST主席史蒂夫·道森表示，太原首次承办赛事意义重大，斯诺克在中国基层与顶级层面均快速发展，中国公开赛回归将进一步提升赛事质量与全球影响力。
The China Open will return to the WST calendar for the first time since 2019, taking place in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, from August 8–16, 2026.
Staged through a joint project between WST, the Chinese Billiard Sports Association, local authorities and partners, the event will feature total prize money of £1.2 million.
The nine-day tournament will include 144 players, with qualifiers held in the UK. The final stages will feature 32 players competing over best-of-11-frame matches on two tables. Two local wild cards will face qualifiers for places in the last 32.
First held in 1999 in Shanghai and won by Ronnie O’Sullivan, the China Open is one of snooker’s most prestigious events. In 2005, Ding Junhui’s victory over Stephen Hendry in Beijing marked a key moment in the sport’s rise in China. Mark Selby and Mark Williams have each won three titles, while Ding, O’Sullivan, Neil Robertson, Peter Ebdon and Judd Trump have two each.
WST Chairman Steve Dawson said he was delighted to see the event return after seven years and to bring it to Taiyuan for the first time, highlighting China’s strong growth in snooker and the significance of the tournament’s comeback for players competing for major prize money.