Snooker Masters 2026: Schedule and Draw Revealed with Wilson's Friday Matchup

The 2026 Masters snooker tournament is underway at Alexandra Palace from January 11 to 18, with Shaun Murphy, the reigning champion, eliminated and Judd Trump advancing to the semifinals. Murphy suffered a 6-2 loss to Wu Yize of China in the opening round. Meanwhile, eight-time record champion Ronnie O'Sullivan will miss the event for the second consecutive year due to health reasons. Chris Wakelin has taken O'Sullivan's place in the draw but was defeated 6-2 by Neil Robertson in the first round, resulting in all initial matches ending with the same score. The tournament features the top 16 ranked players, including Mark Selby, the winner of December's UK Championship. All matches in this non-ranking, 16-player competition are best of 11 frames, except for the final, which is best of 19 frames.