Ronnie O'Sullivan Eyes Historic Eighth Title at the World Snooker Championship

The World Snooker Championship is set to commence, with defending champion Zhao Xintong aiming to overcome the 'Crucible Curse' and become the first debut winner to successfully retain the title. Meanwhile, Ronnie O'Sullivan will attempt to break records by securing his eighth world title, competing against notable players such as Judd Trump, Mark Selby, Kyren Wilson, Neil Robertson, and Shaun Murphy, starting from April 18. The tournament, which has been in existence since 1927, boasts a rich history that spans from the dominance of Joe Davis in the early years to the modern era, where O'Sullivan and Stephen Hendry have made significant contributions to the sport. Notably, since the introduction of 32 players in the first round in 1982, there has never been an instance where all 16 top seeds have advanced to the second round. Zhao, who became the first Chinese world champion, will begin his title defense on the first day, while other top seeds, including Mark Allen, Xiao Guodong, Mark Williams, and Barry Hawkins, will also be in action. World No 1 Judd Trump will commence his campaign for a second world title on April 21, with O'Sullivan starting his bid on the same day. If both O'Sullivan and John Higgins progress through the opening round, they will face each other in the last 16. The top 16 seeds will be randomly drawn against the 16 players who emerge from the qualifying rounds on April 16. In addition to the highest break prize, the tournament will offer bonuses of £40,000 and £10,000 for maximum breaks achieved at the main stage and in the qualifying rounds, respectively. An extra bonus of £147,000 is also available to any player who makes two maximum breaks across the Triple Crown events and the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters this season. Since 1977, there have been 24 different champions, with Zhao Xintong being the most recent winner in 2025. Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O'Sullivan currently hold the record for the most titles won, with seven crowns each.