World Snooker Championship Schedule: Ronnie O'Sullivan Eyes Historic Eighth Title

The World Snooker Championship is set to commence, with defending champion Zhao Xintong seeking to overcome the 'Crucible Curse' and retain his title. He will face stiff competition from Ronnie O'Sullivan, who is bidding for a record-breaking eighth world title, as well as other top contenders like Judd Trump, Mark Selby, Kyren Wilson, Neil Robertson, and Shaun Murphy. The tournament, which has a rich history dating back to 1927, has been dominated by legendary players such as Joe Davis, Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry, and Ronnie O'Sullivan. Since the introduction of 32 players in the first round in 1982, there has never been an instance where all 16 top seeds have progressed to the second round. O'Sullivan, who will be making his 34th consecutive appearance at the Crucible, will begin his campaign on April 21, with the aim of becoming the first player to win the title for a record eighth time. 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, players will also be competing for bonuses of £40,000 and £10,000 for maximum breaks achieved at the main stage and in the qualifying rounds, respectively. A further bonus of £147,000 is on offer for 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, becoming the first champion from Asia. Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O'Sullivan currently share the record for the most titles, with seven crowns each.