Combination of transition metal oxides and graphene sheets (GS) is an effective strategy to improve the electrochemical performance of transition metal oxides. In the present work, we report a facile and simple hydrothermal method to synthesize the nanocomposite of SnO2 dodecahedral nanocrystals (DNCs) anchored on GS as an advanced anode material for high-performance lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Benefiting from the unique properties of graphene, the SnO2 DNCs-GS nanocomposite exhibits significant enhanced Li-battery performance compared with the pure SnO2 DNCs. The initial discharge and charge capacities of the SnO2 DNC-GS electrode are 1653.2 and 1085.6mAhg−1, respectively. After 50 cycles, it still exhibits a high discharge capacity of 783.9mAhg−1 at the current density of 200mAg−1. Remarkably, the discharge capacity of the SnO2 DNCs-GS can still retain as high as 730.3mAhg−1 at a high rate of 5Ag−1, indicating good rate capability. The electrochemical results suggest the SnO2 DNCs-GS nanocomposite would be a promising candidate as anode material in energy storage applications for high-performance LIBs. Our study also highlights the importance of rational design and synthesis of graphene-based materials for high-performance LIBs.