Kyren Wilson hit 'one of lowest points' in UK Championship defeat but 'over it' ahead of Masters opener against Si Jiahui
By Will Conroy
Updated 17/01/2026 at 17:09 GMT
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Kyren Wilson said his defeat in the first round of the UK Championship against Elliot Slessor was "one of the lowest points" of his career. The 34-year-old's cue broke at the start of the season, and he has since been searching for a suitable replacement. The world No. 2 switched cues on the day of his loss against Slessor, and he was clearly struggling throughout, but now says he is "over it".
'World Champion 2024' - Wilson reads motivational note while behind against Slessor
Video credit: TNT Sports
Kyren Wilson said his UK Championship defeat against Elliot Slessor was "one of the lowest points" of his career after the match was plagued by frustration and uncertainty over his cue situation.
The cue Wilson used in his 2024 World Championship triumph broke at the start of this season, and he has been trying to find a suitable replacement since.Â
The world No. 2 started using a replica of the cue that brought him success in Sheffield two weeks before this season’s UK Championship.
But one day out from his first-round contest in York, he discovered an issue that prompted him to switch back to a previous cue, which was quickly made match-ready and driven up to him on the day of his clash with Slessor.Â
Wilson lost the match 6-4 and was visibly frustrated at points throughout, with his head in his hands as he sat in his chair, while he was also seen reading a motivational note at one stage.Â
"I knew as soon as I missed an easy pink in the first frame, and I just knew I couldn’t win," Wilson told Metro. "I just absolutely knew I couldn’t win, but I just battled and battled and battled."
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'Not looking at all happy' - Poor shot leaves Wilson with head in hands at UK Championship
Video credit: TNT Sports
He continued: "I think the whole emotions and everything that came out, I think that was just… the UK is so big, and with everything that’s happened, I felt like I was ready for it.Â
"I was starting to feel good, and you get there, and everything changes. It was just a bit soul-destroying. Probably one of the lowest points I’ve ever had, to be honest.Â
"I’ve gone through a period now, almost two years, of feeling like I’m definitely in the mix of being one of the best players in the world. I’ve probably been the most successful over the past 18 months.Â
"You give it everything, and when something out of your hands has happened, that’s a freak accident as well; it was just a bit soul-destroying."
After winning at the Crucible in 2024, Wilson won four titles last season, lifting the trophy at the Xi’an Grand Prix, Northern Ireland Open, German Masters, and Players Championship.
But the difficulties faced since breaking his cue at the start of this campaign have taken their toll, with the 34-year-old without a title since August.
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'I just didn't want to be out there' - Wilson says wanted to walk out during Slessor defeat
Video credit: TNT Sports
Wilson said it was one particular shot in practice which made him aware of the issue with the replica cue, but said it was "total guesswork" against Slessor after switching back to an old one.Â
"When you get to the venues, the practice tables are much more lively," Wilson explained. "The cloths are new, the balls react slightly different, and on one side of the table I couldn’t understand why I kept missing a certain ball.
"It was like a long straight red and it was always the same, and I pride myself on striking the ball quite centrally and cueing quite straight. I couldn’t work out what was going on.
"I went over to my friends at Green Baize, went to change the ferrule to see if it would reduce the deflection and they pointed out to me that the way the cue had been spliced from left to right.
"So it was almost like a boomerang. Then I was like, 'well, that’s why I’m turning the ball that way over that side of the table'.
"It made sense to me and then it just cabbaged me before my game. That was the night before the match, in Middlesbrough.
"So it was panic stations. Got my old cue out, which didn’t even have a ferrule on. My friend drove it up to me, put me a new ferrule on, put me a new tip on, and then I played that night. So it was like total guesswork."
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Wilson's bid for a first Masters title starts on Tuesday afternoon, and he is in a better mindset for the second Triple Crown event of the season than he had been for the first.
Ahead of his match with world No. 16 Si Jiahui, he said: "I’ve had my hissy fit, and I’m over it now."
The event has been blown wide open in the first couple of days, with three of the top eight seeds crashing out in the opening four matches, including Mark Selby and Shaun Murphy, who had been widely tipped among the pre-tournament favourites.
Watch and stream the 2025/26 snooker season, including the Masters, live on TNT Sports and discovery+
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