Ray Reardon's 43-year record under threat as Ronnie O'Sullivan, Judd Trump and Crucible in spotlight ahead of new snooker season- five key storylines
Published 20/06/2025 at 17:31 GMT+1
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It feels like the old snooker season has just ended with Zhao Xintong becoming China's first world champion at the Crucible Theatre last month. But it will be a case of out with the old and in with the bold on Sunday when the Wuhan Open qualifiers signal the start of a new campaign as John Higgins, Mark Williams and Luca Brecel return to action in Leicester. What then can we expect in 2025/26?
'Look at the crowd' - Williams wraps up victory over Trump with ice-cool century
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1. Reardon's 43-year record under serious threat
Ray Reardon has held the record for the oldest winner of a ranking event since the six-time world champion defeated Jimmy 'Whirlwind' White at the age of 50 years and 14 days at the Professional Players Tournament in Sutton Coldfield in October 1982.
It is hardly taking a huge leap of faith to imagine that golden record being shredded this season.
Reardon's fellow Welsh icon Mark Williams and the remarkable Scotsman John Higgins have both turned 50 with Ronnie O'Sullivan set to bring up his half-century in December.
It is not like the evergreen 'Class of '92 trio are groping in the dark for the winning formula with all three astonishingly inside the world's top five at the outset of the new 2025/26 season.
Williams would have eclipsed Reardon's landmark moment as the only man over 50 to claim a major title at the World Championship last month, but lost 18-12 to Zhao Xintong in the final after two mentally exacting battles with Higgins (13-12) and Judd Trump (17-14).
It was a minor setback in a season that saw him finish as world No. 3 after only being denied the Saudi Arabia Masters £500,000 first prize by an impeccable counter clearance of 72 by Trump on the final black of a 10-9 triumph.
Williams recovered to carry off the Champion of Champions, with Higgins finding prime form in lifting the World Open and Tour Championship.
There is likely to be more to come, with 50 proving to be the new 40 on the old green baize.
O'Sullivan has previously intimated what could yet be achieved if motivation remains high.
"I've already broken the rules for snooker. I'm still going at 48, 49, and I'm seeing what's possible now," he said last year.
"Can I win a World Championship at 50, who knows?
"I'm probably the only player able to do that but let's see, let's have an experiment."
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‘The drought is over’ – Higgins seals World Open title with classy century
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- Who is in action on opening day of the new snooker season?
- Zhao set to lead record number of Chinese players in new snooker season
- O'Sullivan, Trump and Zhao discover first opponents of new season
2. O'Sullivan will win big again
There were no titles for the snooker GOAT last season as O'Sullivan smashed his cue into pieces during the Championship League in January and was not seen again until the World Championship in April.
Much has been made of O'Sullivan struggling for form and confidence in reaching the semi-finals at the Crucible with his 17-7 defeat to Zhao Xintong, including an 8-0 session whitewash in which nothing went right for Rocket Ronnie, as some sort of fall from grace.
But form is temporary, class is permanent. And class will out.
It could also be asked if O'Sullivan is sharp enough to reach the last four of the biggest tournament being miles off his immaculate best, struggling to find peace with his cue, what happens if he suddenly rediscovers a bit of momentum?
Despite rising to salute Zhao's victory in Sheffield, it was not so much a changing of the guard, merely a changing of the cue.
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Watch: Top 10 shots of 2025 World Snooker Championship
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History suggests O'Sullivan, as unpredictable as ever, will win and win big over the next 11 months.
"He is the greatest player without a doubt, and I think most players would agree," said Reardon, who coached O'Sullivan during his 2004 World Championship success, before he died at the age of 91 last July.
"I can’t think of anybody who wouldn’t agree.
"He is so natural and effortless. You would have to see him practising to realise how good he really is.
"Snooker is one of these games where you have an audience going along and I’m sure they don’t understand what they are seeing. They don’t realise how good this person is.
"They see a ball go from A to B. The white ball goes here, there and everywhere.
"You can’t understand the skill involved in making this happen."
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'How about that' - O'Sullivan sinks stunning red to set up frame-winning chance
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3. Trump on course to become snooker's most prolific winner
O'Sullivan once suggested some players like to measure their own standards by personal gains across the length and breadth of a career.
"You have to look at it in a certain way," said an unwell O'Sullivan after losing 10-8 to James Cahill in the first round of the 2019 World Championship. "Some people are driven by records, and some are not.
"If they are driven by records, they will want to go away and work at it. Some people are not.
"Some people will take it event by event, and have more short-term goals."
It appears that world No. 1 Judd Trump is firmly in the latter camp. Which you can probably understand.
Why beat yourself up about one annual shot at the World Championship when there is a world of possibilities out there?
Records are there to be broken, and the forthcoming campaign is likely to see the 2019 world champion take another few poignant steps on his journey to becoming the most prolific tournament winner in the history of the sport.
Trump is also second (1086) only to O'Sullivan (1282) in terms of centuries compiled. He is the only man in history to twice produce a century of centuries.
Where such accomplishments will leave him in the all-time list of champions is a matter of conjecture, but Trump is happy to stockpile garlands rather than concern himself with legacy titles.
"If that's not his thing, it's not his thing. Everybody is different," said seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry.
"I think Judd is just happy winning tournaments wherever they are.
"I don't think he's set his stall out to win four or five world titles."
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‘Relentless winner’ Trump completes amazing clearance to claim Saudi Masters in epic decider
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Major ranking event winners
- 1. Ronnie O'Sullivan (Eng) 41
- 2. Stephen Hendry (Sco) 36
- 3. John Higgins (Sco) 33
- 4. Judd Trump (Eng) 30
- 5. Steve Davis (Eng) 28
4. Lengthy Crucible debate could finally reach a conclusion
The hoary old debate surrounding the Crucible Theatre's suitability as a World Championship venue is likely to reach some sort of conclusion in the months ahead.
Either that or else they will need to set up a table in the middle of Tudor Square with the venue's hire due to expire in 2027.
This will mark the 50th straight season of the sport's greatest event being held at the Crucible since John Spencer defeated Cliff Thorburn 25-21 in the maiden final in Sheffield in 1977.
The size of the 980-seat venue and size of the cheque on offer has prompted plenty of derision, with the voices of discontent suddenly appearing as vocal as the traditionalists, who feel it is an act of sporting sacrilege to even consider departing the Crucible.
One way or another, uncertainly is never good for business, but what will win the day? History or a new direction?
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'It is very, very big pressure' - Zhao thrilled to be crowned world champion
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At least former World Snooker Tour chair Barry Hearn will be spared his annual address to the media without a firm answer to the ongoing question: 'Should we stay or should we go?'
Speaking on TNT Sports, former Masters champion Alan McManus said: "Look, there’s a fence, and you choose which side of it.
"You either have a duty to your pocket and other people’s pockets, or you have a duty to our game, our sport. And to me, that’s the most important one.
"Barry [Hearn] doesn’t seem to share my opinion, and that’s fine. But there’s more to life than going and taking it somewhere where the people and the players and everyone else will not get the experience.
"And if they move it - it’s only an opinion, my opinion - we won’t get that experience, no one will."
You cannot please all of the people all of the time, but the smart money suggests the World Championship will not move out of the UK.
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'We need to change for the better' - Hearn says deadline set for Crucible to keep World Championship
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5. Zhao will lead China's assault on major titles
Witnessing Zhao, the 2021 UK champion before his ban from the sport for his role in a betting probe, winning the World Championship was hardly a shock to the senses with a record 10 players from China reaching the starting grid at the Crucible, an all-time high for a country committed to cue sport.
"I think this year you possibly could see the first Chinese player [to win it] because you have Wu Yize, Si Jiahui and Xintong," said six-time world finalist Jimmy White on TNT Sports ahead of the tournament.
"These three players could be the next Mark Williams, John Higgins and Ronnie O'Sullivan, they're that good."
While his victory was well-earned, it is unlikely to usher in an era of Zhao domination.
Nobody gets it all their own way in snooker. It is just not part of the landscape in the modern era.
What we can safely predict is more titles for Zhao and more trophies for his compatriots.
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'Just too good' - Zhao counters Williams safety with brilliant pot
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Xiao Guodong (Wuhan Open), Ding Junhui (International Championship) and Lei Peifan (Scottish Open) all won titles last term.
With a record 28 players on the main professional World Snooker Tour this season, that trend is likely to accelerate. And accumulate in the years ahead.
Zhang Anda, Si Jiahui, Zhou Yuelong, Fan Zhengyi, Pang Junxu and Wu Yize are a selection of the other leading figures who have the potential to win a competition on any given Sunday.
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