World Snooker Championship Schedule: O'Sullivan Eyes Record Eighth Title

The reigning champion, Zhao Xintong, is set to defend his title at the World Snooker Championship, while Ronnie O'Sullivan aims to make history with a record-breaking eighth world title. They will face stiff competition from top players including Judd Trump, four-time champion Mark Selby, Kyren Wilson, Neil Robertson, and Shaun Murphy, starting from April 18. The tournament, which has been running since 1927, is steeped in history, from the dominance of Joe Davis in the early years to the modern era of O'Sullivan and Stephen Hendry. Since the introduction of 32 players in the first round in 1982, no tournament has seen all 16 top seeds progress to the second round. Zhao will attempt to break the 'Crucible Curse' by becoming the first maiden winner to successfully defend the title, a feat that has eluded 21 players since 1980. O'Sullivan, who will be making his 34th consecutive appearance at the iconic venue, was the last first-time champion to reach the semi-finals, losing to Hendry in 2002. The top seeds, including Mark Allen, Xiao Guodong, Mark Williams, and Barry Hawkins, will be in action on the first day, while world number one Judd Trump begins his campaign on April 21. O'Sullivan starts his tournament on the same day, with the possibility of facing John Higgins in the last 16 if both players progress. The top 16 seeds will be randomly drawn against the 16 players who advance from the qualifying rounds on April 16. Additional prizes are on offer for the highest break, with bonuses of £40,000 and £10,000 for maximum breaks made at the main stage and in the qualifying rounds, respectively. A bonus of £147,000 is also available to any player who achieves two maximum breaks across the Triple Crown events and the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters. Since 1977, there have been 24 different champions, with Zhao Xintong being the most recent winner in 2025, and Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O'Sullivan sharing the record for the most titles with seven each.