The 2026 WPA Pudong Tangzhen 9-Ball China Open returns to Shanghai this September, bringing together leading players from around the world for one of Asia’s longest-running international 9-ball tournaments.
Scheduled from September 5 to 13, 2026, the China Open will feature separate men’s and women’s competitions, three days of qualifying and a five-day main event at the Pudong Tangzhen Culture & Sports Service Center in Shanghai, China.
A combined $373,600 prize fund will be contested across the two divisions, with $208,000 allocated to the men’s competition and $165,600 to the women’s event.
The tournament is hosted by the World Pool Association (WPA), the Chinese Billiard Sports Association (CBSA) and the Shanghai Sports Federation.
2026 China Open Dates and Venue
The tournament will be played across two stages, beginning with qualifying from September 5 to 7 before the main event gets underway on September 9.
| Stage | Dates | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Stage 1 | September 5-7, 2026 | Qualifying |
| Stage 2 | September 9-13, 2026 | Main Event |
Both stages will be held at the Pudong Tangzhen Culture & Sports Service Center, No. 3150 Gutang Road, Pudong New Area, Shanghai, China.
Stage 1 will be played on the first floor of the venue, while the main tournament will move to the second floor.
The China Open will feature both Men’s 9-Ball Singles and Women’s 9-Ball Singles.
$373,600 Total Prize Fund
The 2026 China Open carries a combined prize fund of $373,600, with the men’s champion earning $40,000 and the women’s champion receiving $36,000.
| Finish | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Champion | $40,000 | $36,000 |
| Runner-up | $20,000 | $18,000 |
| 3rd-4th | $10,000 each | $9,000 each |
| 5th-8th | $6,000 each | $5,400 each |
| 9th-16th | $3,000 each | $2,700 each |
| 17th-32nd | $2,000 each | $1,800 each |
| 33rd-48th | $1,500 | $1,350 each |
| 49th-64th | $1,500 | N/A |
Prize money is subject to a 20 percent withholding tax under the tournament regulations. Based on that deduction, the men’s champion would receive $32,000 after tax, while the women’s champion would receive $28,800.
How the 2026 China Open Qualifiers Work
Stage 1 will run from September 5 to 7 and gives players three separate opportunities to qualify for the main tournament.
The qualifying tournaments will use a single-elimination, winner-break format. Men will compete in races to 9, while women will play races to 7.
Each player is eligible to participate in all three qualifying tournaments. Each qualifier can accommodate a maximum of 128 men and 64 women.
A total of eight men and eight women will advance to Stage 2 through qualifying.
| Qualifier | Men Advancing | Women Advancing |
|---|---|---|
| Qualifier 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Qualifier 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Qualifier 3 | 4 | 4 |
China Open Qualifier Schedules, Results and Brackets
The tournament’s Shanghai match system provides separate schedule/results pages and brackets for each of the three qualifying tournaments.
| Qualifier | Schedule & Results | Men’s Bracket | Women’s Bracket |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qualifier 1 | View Schedule & Results | View Men’s Bracket | View Women’s Bracket |
| Qualifier 2 | View Schedule & Results | View Men’s Bracket | View Women’s Bracket |
| Qualifier 3 | View Schedule & Results | View Men’s Bracket | View Women’s Bracket |
Note: These Chinese match-system pages may load slowly from outside mainland China.
2026 China Open Main Event Format
Stage 2 begins on September 9, with 64 players competing in the men’s tournament and 48 players in the women’s competition.
Both divisions begin with double-elimination group play before switching to single elimination for the knockout rounds.
Men’s Main Event
The 64-player men’s field will be divided into eight groups of eight players.
The group stage will use a double-elimination format with races to 9 and alternate break. Four players from each group will advance, with two qualifying through the winners’ side and two through the losers’ side.
That reduces the field to 32 players for the knockout stage.
Beginning with the Last 32, the tournament switches to single elimination, race to 11 and alternate break.
Women’s Main Event
The 48-player women’s field will also be divided into eight groups, with six players in each group.
Group matches will use double elimination, race to 7 and alternate break.
Two players advance from each group, one from the winners’ side and one from the losers’ side, producing a 16-player knockout field.
From the Last 16 onward, matches will be single elimination, race to 9 and alternate break.
| Format | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Main Field | 64 players | 48 players |
| Groups | 8 groups of 8 | 8 groups of 6 |
| Group Stage | Double elimination | Double elimination |
| Group Race | Race to 9 | Race to 7 |
| Knockout Begins | Last 32 | Last 16 |
| Knockout Race | Race to 11 | Race to 9 |
| Break Format | Alternate break | Alternate break |
Top 16 Players Receive Direct Invitations
According to the official tournament regulations, the Top 16 men and Top 16 women in the WPA rankings as of July 31, 2026 receive automatic invitations directly into Stage 2.
The defending champions from the 2025 China Open also receive automatic invitations into the main tournament.
An invitation does not necessarily mean every eligible player will participate, but the criteria provide direct Stage 2 places to the highest-ranked players.
China Open Seeding
There will be no seeded players during Stage 1 qualifying.
For Stage 2, the Top 16 men and Top 16 women will be seeded according to the WPA rankings as of July 31, 2026.
The defending 2025 champions receive the No. 1 seed in their respective divisions if they participate.
π΅π± Wojciech Szewczyk enters the tournament as the defending men’s champion, while π―π΅ Chihiro Kawahara is the defending women’s champion.
Shot Clock Rules
A shot clock will be used in every match, with players given 35 seconds per shot.
A warning is given when 10 seconds remain, followed by a countdown during the final five seconds. Each player is permitted one 25-second extension per rack.
One unusual provision in the regulations is that no shot clock will be used during the deciding rack of a match.
Break Rules
The tournament will follow the latest WPA 9-Ball rules, including the Three-Ball Break Rule.
A rack template will be used with the 9-ball placed on the spot.
For a break to be considered legal, a combination of at least three object balls must either be pocketed or cross the head string.
- If no ball is pocketed, at least three object balls must cross the head string.
- If one ball is pocketed, at least two additional balls must cross the head string.
- If two balls are pocketed, at least one additional ball must cross the head string.
- If three object balls are pocketed, the break is automatically legal.
If the break is ruled illegal, the incoming player may either accept the table or return the shot to the breaker.
Table and Pocket Specifications
The 2026 China Open will retain the pocket specifications used during the 2025 tournament.
- Corner pockets: 4 inches
- Side pockets: 4.5 inches
The four-inch corner pockets should provide a demanding test for the field, particularly during the longer races in the knockout stage.
Official Tournament Equipment
The official tournament regulations list the following equipment and suppliers for the 2026 event:
| Equipment | Official Supplier |
|---|---|
| Table | Beijing Xingpai Pool Table |
| Balls | Dynaspheres Pool TV Ball |
| Cloth | Andy Pool Cloth |
| Cue | ZEN Cues |
| Cue Tip | Mammoth Cue Tip |
| Chalk | TP Chalk |
| Cue Bag | Case ONE |
| Slate | Lufeng Slate |
| Rubber | Nanjiang Rubber |
2026 China Open Live Streaming, Live Scores and Apps
The World Pool Association has confirmed WPALive.tv as the official international streaming destination for the 2026 China Open. The tournament information hub also links Kozoom Pool TV on YouTube as an additional live-streaming source.
| Resource | Link | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Official International Stream | WPALive.tv | Confirmed by the WPA for China Open coverage. |
| Kozoom Pool TV | Watch on YouTube | Additional live-stream link listed for the event. |
| Main Event Live Scoring | Open Live Scoring | Main event only. The scoring page may not become active until Stage 2 begins on September 9. |
| Sports Master Show App | Android / Tencent App Store | Chinese mobile app listed for event coverage. Chinese name: θΏε¨ι«ζη§. |
| Sports Master Show App | iPhone / App Store | iOS listing. Availability may vary by App Store region. |
| Official WPA Event Announcement | View WPA China Open Page | Official WPA event announcement and streaming confirmation. |
The tournament regulations also list CRAND and Ruihu Sports as live-streaming partners. Exact schedules, table assignments and regional availability may vary throughout the tournament.
China Open Entry Fees
Players attempting to earn their place through Stage 1 will pay an entry fee of CNY 1,500. That fee covers all three qualifying opportunities.
Players entering directly into Stage 2 will pay CNY 1,000.
Player Conditions and Late Penalties
Players are required to report to the call area 30 minutes before their scheduled match.
| Late Arrival | Penalty |
|---|---|
| 5 minutes | Loss of one rack |
| 10 minutes | Loss of two racks |
| 15 minutes | Loss of match |
Mobile phones must be placed on silent and kept out of sight during matches. Smoking is prohibited inside the venue.
The tournament regulations also expressly prohibit gambling, match manipulation and match-fixing.
China Open Dress Code
Male players are required to wear collared shirts with sleeves, dark-colored long dress pants and black leather dress shoes.
Female players are required to wear elegant tops, dark-colored long dress pants and black leather dress shoes.
The tournament regulations also contain specific restrictions governing the size and placement of personal sponsor logos on player clothing.
Philippine History at the China Open π΅π
The Philippines has enjoyed significant success at the China Open, including consecutive men’s championships more than a decade ago.
π΅π Dennis Orcollo captured the men’s championship in 2012.
One year later, π΅π Lee Van Corteza defeated Fu Che-Wei, 11-6, in the championship match to give the Philippines back-to-back China Open titles.
Corteza remains the most recent Filipino player to win the tournament.
The Philippines came close again through π΅π Anton Raga, who reached the championship match in both 2019 and 2023.
Raga lost a hill-hill final to Wu Jiaqing in 2019 before finishing runner-up to Joshua Filler when the China Open returned in 2023.
The Philippines therefore enters the 2026 tournament looking to end a 13-year wait for another China Open men’s championship.
Recent China Open Champions
| Year | Men’s Champion | Women’s Champion |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | π©πͺ Joshua Filler | π¨π³ Han Yu |
| 2024 | π©πͺ Joshua Filler | π¨π³ Han Yu |
| 2025 | π΅π± Wojciech Szewczyk | π―π΅ Chihiro Kawahara |
2026 WPA 9-Ball China Open: What You Need to Know
- Event: 2026 WPA Pudong Tangzhen 9-Ball China Open
- Dates: September 5-13, 2026
- Qualifying: September 5-7
- Main Event: September 9-13
- Venue: Pudong Tangzhen Culture & Sports Service Center, Shanghai, China
- Men’s Field: 64 players
- Women’s Field: 48 players
- Men’s Champion Prize: $40,000
- Women’s Champion Prize: $36,000
- Total Prize Fund: $373,600
- Discipline: 9-Ball
- Sanctioning Bodies: WPA and CBSA
With a deep international field expected, tight four-inch corner pockets, longer knockout races and nearly $374,000 in prize money, the China Open once again takes its place as one of the major international events on the Asian pool calendar.
For Filipino fans, attention will also be on whether the country’s representatives can end the long title drought and join Dennis Orcollo and Lee Van Corteza on the list of Philippine China Open champions.