List of world number one snooker players

The sport of snooker has utilised a world rankings system since 1975, used to seed players on the World Snooker Tour for tournaments. Originally rankings were published once a year, at the culmination of the season, however, since 2010, the rankings have been changed to be updated after every ranking tournament.[1] The number one rank has been held by eleven players; Ray Reardon was the first to hold the position, and was followed by Cliff Thorburn, Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry, John Higgins, Mark Williams, Ronnie O'Sullivan, Neil Robertson, Mark Selby, Judd Trump and Ding Junhui.

photo of Ronnie O'Sullivan
Ronnie O'Sullivan is the current world number one.

Hendry held the number one position for the longest time under the annual format, holding it for nine years in total. Since it changed to a rolling format in 2010, Selby has held the rank longer than anyone else.

History edit

 
Stephen Hendry ended the season ranked at number one on nine occasions; more season finishes in the top spot than any other player.

The sport of professional snooker first adopted a ranking system for the 1975–76 season, which saw Ray Reardon ranked in the top position. An Order of Merit was published in the 1975/76 season to determine the seedings for events, and the first set of official rankings the following year used the same criteria.[2][3] Certain events carried ranking points, and at the end of the season, they were tallied. The World Snooker Championship originally was the only event to offer ranking points, until the 1982 International Open.[4] Over the next 22 seasons, five men held the first position; Reardon (1976/77 to 1980/81), Cliff Thorburn (1981/82), Reardon again for 1982/83[note 1], Steve Davis (1983/84 to 1989/90) and Stephen Hendry (1990/91 to 1997/98). From 1998/99 to 2009/10, the title was shared by Ronnie O'Sullivan (five seasons), John Higgins (three seasons) and Mark Williams (three seasons), while Hendry regained the position for the 2006/07 season. In the first 34 years of the world rankings, only seven players held the number one position.[2]

For the 2010–11 snooker season, the world rankings were changed to be updated after each tournament carrying ranking points.[7] This was altered from the 2014–15 snooker season, where ranking points were based entirely on the prize money won from qualifying events.[8] Since the introduction of the new system, Higgins, Neil Robertson, Williams, Mark Selby, Judd Trump, Ding Junhui, and O'Sullivan have all attained the number one rank.[3] Selby has also seven seasons ranked in first place, putting him in joint third place overall with Reardon and Davis, O'Sullivan is in second with (eight times) and behind Hendry (nine times).[3][9]

List of players edit

Hendry holds the record for most seasons at number one under the traditional system, with nine seasons (1990/19911997/1998 and again in 2006–07). His first spell of eight consecutive seasons in this position is also a record.[10] Under the rolling ranking format, Mark Selby holds both the total and consecutive records.[3]

Periods edit

The snooker players ranked number one in the world are listed below for each period since the introduction of the ranking system.[11][12]

Number one players
No. Nationality Player From To Ref
1   Wales Ray Reardon 3 May 1975 20 April 1981 [3][13]
2   Canada Cliff Thorburn 21 April 1981 16 May 1982 [3]
  Wales Ray Reardon (2) 17 May 1982 2 May 1983 [3][note 1]
3   England Steve Davis 3 May 1983 29 April 1990 [3]
4   Scotland Stephen Hendry 30 April 1990 4 May 1998 [3]
5   Scotland John Higgins 5 May 1998 1 May 2000 [3]
6   Wales Mark Williams 2 May 2000 6 May 2002 [3]
7   England Ronnie O'Sullivan 7 May 2002 5 May 2003 [3]
  Wales Mark Williams (2) 6 May 2003 3 May 2004 [3]
  England Ronnie O'Sullivan (2) 4 May 2004 1 May 2006 [3]
  Scotland Stephen Hendry (2) 2 May 2006 7 May 2007 [3]
  Scotland John Higgins (2) 8 May 2007 5 May 2008 [3]
  England Ronnie O'Sullivan (3) 6 May 2008 3 May 2010 [3]
  Scotland John Higgins (3) 4 May 2010 26 September 2010 [14]
8   Australia Neil Robertson 27 September 2010 12 December 2010 [15][16]
  Scotland John Higgins (4) 13 December 2010 2 May 2011 [17][18]
  Wales Mark Williams (3) 3 May 2011 11 September 2011 [19][20]
9   England Mark Selby 12 September 2011 4 November 2012 [21][22]
10   England Judd Trump 5 November 2012 9 December 2012 [23][24]
  England Mark Selby (2) 10 December 2012 17 February 2013 [25][26]
  England Judd Trump (2) 18 February 2013 31 March 2013 [27][28]
  England Mark Selby (3) 1 April 2013 9 June 2013 [29][30]
  Australia Neil Robertson (2) 10 June 2013 5 May 2014 [31][32]
  England Mark Selby (4) 6 May 2014 6 July 2014 [33][34]
  Australia Neil Robertson (3) 7 July 2014 10 August 2014 [35][36]
  England Mark Selby (5) 11 August 2014 7 December 2014 [37][38]
11   China Ding Junhui 8 December 2014 14 December 2014 [39][40][41]
  Australia Neil Robertson (4) 15 December 2014 24 January 2015 [42][43]
  China Ding Junhui (2) 25 January 2015 8 February 2015 [44][45]
  England Mark Selby (6) 9 February 2015 24 March 2019 [46]
  England Ronnie O'Sullivan (4) 25 March 2019 11 August 2019 [3]
  England Judd Trump (3) 12 August 2019 22 August 2021 [3]
  England Mark Selby (7) 23 August 2021 17 October 2021 [3]
  England Judd Trump (4) 18 October 2021 7 November 2021 [47]
  England Mark Selby (8) 8 November 2021 3 April 2022 [48]
  England Ronnie O'Sullivan (5) 4 April 2022 Present [49]

Total time spent at number one edit

Players ranked number one at the start of the season edit

See also edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ a b Alex Higgins would have been ranked number one in the 1982–83 season, but had ranking points deducted as a result of disciplinary action after assaulting a press officer.[5][6]

References edit

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  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x "Ranking Records". World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. Archived from the original on 13 August 2021. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
  4. ^ Hayton, Eric. Cuesport Book of Professional Snooker. p. 149.
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  12. ^ Downer, Chris (2012). Crucible Almanac. p. 143.
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External links edit