The wear performance between a shot-peened zircinia-silicon carbide composite (ZrO_2/SiC) plate and a silicon nitride ball under dry conditions was investigated, in order to improve the wear resistance of ZrO_2/SiC frictional parts. The wear resistance of a ZrO_2/SiC plate with shot peening was higher than that of a ZrO_2/SiC plate without shot peening in the sliding wear test under low hertzian contact pressure. The hardness and the compressive residual stress in the near-surface layer of the ZrO_2/SiC plates were increased by shot peening, which improved the wear resistance of a ZrO_2/SiC plate.