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

The World Snooker Championship is set to begin, with defending champion Zhao Xintong returning to the Crucible and Ronnie O'Sullivan aiming for a record-breaking eighth title. They will face stiff competition from 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 1982, when 32 players were first introduced in the first round, no tournament has seen all 16 top seeds reach the second round. Zhao will attempt to overcome the 'Crucible Curse' and become 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 16 seeds will be drawn at random against the 16 players who come through the qualifying rounds on April 16. All first-round matches are best of 19 frames. The tournament will also feature a range of bonuses, including a £40,000 prize for the highest break and £10,000 for maximum breaks made in the qualifying rounds. An additional £147,000 bonus is on offer for any player who makes two maximums across the Triple Crown events and the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters. The World Snooker Championship has had 24 different champions since 1977, with Zhao Xintong being the most recent winner in 2025, becoming the first champion from Asia. Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O'Sullivan share the record for the most titles, with seven crowns each.