Snooker News
Defending champion Zhao Xintong returns to the Crucible while Ronnie O’Sullivan will make a bid for a record-breaking eighth world title at the World Snooker Championship.
They will be challenged by Judd Trump and four-time champion Mark Selby, as well as Kyren Wilson, Neil Robertson and Shaun Murphy, from 18 April.
The tournament has been running since 1927 and is steeped in history, from the days of Joe Davis, who dominated the sport from the 1920s to the 1950s, winning the first 15 World Snooker Championships consecutively from 1927 to 1946, through the 1980s with Steve Davis winning six titles from 1981 through to 1989.
And to the modern era as O'Sullivan and fellow seven-time champion Stephen Hendry have graced the green baize.
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Since 32 players were first introduced in the first round in 1982, there has never been a time when all 16 top seeds have reached even the second round.
Zhao will try and overcome the 'Crucible Curse' and become the first maiden winner to successfully defend the trophy. Since 1980, 21 players have tried and failed.
O'Sullivan, who will be making a record 34th straight appearance at the iconic venue, was the last first-time champion to make it as far as the semi-finals when he lost 17-13 to Hendry back in 2002.
Zhao, who became the first world champion from China, returns to the Crucible stage at 10am on the first day, playing to a finish from 7pm. The other seeds in action on the first day will be Mark Allen, Xiao Guodong, Mark Williams and Barry Hawkins.
World No 1 Judd Trump gets his bid for a second world title underway with morning and evening sessions on Tuesday April 21.
O'Sullivan gets started on the same day at 2.30pm, and concludes the following day in the same afternoon slot.
If O'Sullivan and John Higgins both make it through the opening round, they will go head to head in the last 16.
The top 16 seeds will be drawn at random against the 16 players who come through the qualifying rounds on April 16.
In addition to the highest break prize, bonuses of £40,000 and £10,000 will be offered for maximum breaks made at the main stage and in the qualifying rounds respectively.
An additional bonus of £147,000 is also on offer to any player who makes two maximums across this seasons' Triple Crown events and the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters.
Since 1977 there have been 24 different champions, most recently China’s Zhao Xintong who lifted the trophy in 2025, becoming the first champion from Asia. Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O’Sullivan share the record of seven crowns apiece. 1977 John Spencer bt Cliff Thorburn 25-21 1978 Ray Reardon bt Perrie Mans 25-18 1979 Terry Griffiths bt Dennis Taylor 24-16 1980 Cliff Thorburn bt Alex Higgins 18-16 1981 Steve Davis bt Doug Mountjoy 18-12 1982 Alex Higgins bt Ray Reardon 18-15 1983 Steve Davis bt Cliff Thorburn 18-6 1984 Steve Davis bt Jimmy White 18-16 1985 Dennis Taylor bt Steve Davis 18-17 1986 Joe Johnson bt Steve Davis 18-12 1987 Steve Davis bt Joe Johnson 18-14 1988 Steve Davis bt Terry Griffiths 18-11 1989 Steve Davis bt John Parrott 18-3 1990 Stephen Hendry bt Jimmy White 18-12 1991 John Parrott bt Jimmy White 18-11 1992 Stephen Hendry bt Jimmy White 18-14 1993 Stephen Hendry bt Jimmy White 18-5 1994 Stephen Hendry bt Jimmy White 18-17 1995 Stephen Hendry bt Nigel Bond 18-9 1996 Stephen Hendry bt Peter Ebdon 18-12 1997 Ken Doherty bt Stephen Hendry 18-12 1998 John Higgins bt Ken Doherty 18-12 1999 Stephen Hendry bt Mark Williams 18-11 2000 Mark Williams bt Matthew Stevens 18-16 2001 Ronnie O'Sullivan bt John Higgins 18-14 2002 Peter Ebdon bt Stephen Hendry 18- 17 2003 Mark Williams bt Ken Doherty 18-16 2004 Ronnie O'Sullivan bt Graeme Dott 18-8 2005 Shaun Murphy bt Matthew Stevens 18-16 2006 Graeme Dott bt Peter Ebdon 18-14 2007 John Higgins bt Mark Selby 18-13 2008 Ronnie O’Sullivan bt Ali Carter 18-8 2009 John Higgins bt Shaun Murphy 18-9 2010 Neil Robertson bt Graeme Dott 18-13 2011 John Higgins bt Judd Trump 18-15 2012 Ronnie O’Sullivan bt Ali Carter 18-11 2013 Ronnie O’Sullivan bt Barry Hawkins 18-12 2014 Mark Selby bt Ronnie O’Sullivan 18-14 2015 Stuart Bingham bt Shaun Murphy 18-15 2016 Mark Selby bt Ding Junhui 18-14 2017 Mark Selby bt John Higgins 18-15 2018 Mark Williams bt John Higgins 18-16 2019 Judd Trump bt John Higgins 18-9 2020 Ronnie O‘Sullivan bt Kyren Wilson 18-8 2021 Mark Selby bt Shaun Murphy 18-15 2022 Ronnie O’Sullivan bt Judd Trump 18-13 2023 Luca Brecel bt Mark Selby 18-15 2024 Kyren Wilson bt Jak Jones 18-14 2025 Zhao Xintong bt Mark Williams 18-12
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