Jack Lisowski finally shed the tag of 'best player without a ranking title' last season, and the relief is still palpable. The 35-year-old defeated close friend and world number one Judd Trump 9-8 in the 2025 Northern Ireland Open final, a victory that came just months after the sudden death of his father.
Weight Off His Shoulders
Lisowski admitted the pressure of seeking a first title weighed on him daily. 'It feels like a weight's been lifted off my shoulders, for sure,' he told Metro. 'I was thinking about it most days. It was a big, big hurdle in my life. It was horrible, I didn't really realise it.' He described a coping mechanism of pushing the stress to the back of his mind, and the win felt 'really special'.
The triumph was widely celebrated across snooker. 'It was so perfect the way everything happened,' Lisowski recalled. 'The way I had to really sweat for it, and, obviously to beat Judd made it more special, in a way, because I had to really earn it.' He compared the reaction to Robert Milkins' Welsh Open win, where the underdog's victory brought widespread joy.
Misconceptions About Natural Talent and Practice
Lisowski's free-flowing, attacking style often leads fans and pundits to assume the game comes naturally. He disputes that. 'Everyone says I'm natural, I'm like, see me play after a month off, you'll soon change your mind on that one,' he said. 'I need to practise really hard, and I don't think I am natural.' He described snooker as a 'weird game' where his form can swing dramatically, calling it one of his flaws.
Another misconception is that he doesn't practise enough. 'I've had it quite a lot over the years. People say I need to practise more. I think I'm quite a hard practiser,' Lisowski said. At 35, he finds three hours of intense practice sufficient, compared to eight hours in his youth. 'I think you can practise and get worse, if you're not intense.'
Criticism from Stephen Hendry
Seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry once said Lisowski 'doesn't compete'. Lisowski took the comment constructively. 'I think whatever he says about me can seem a bit harsh, but I know he wants the best for me,' he said. 'I think he probably means when I'm bad, I need to stop my level going as low as it does. Which I think he's probably spot on with.' He acknowledged the gap between his best and worst games is 'a lot bigger than most pros'.
Mixed Season and Rising Chinese Stars
Despite the title win, Lisowski described his season as 'poor' apart from Belfast and a Welsh Open final. He lost two China qualifiers to young Chinese players, including a 6-1 defeat to Chang Bingyu and a 5-0 loss to Yao Pengcheng. 'The Chinese players are really coming through now,' he said. 'You've got two Chinese World Champions in a row, and it's been booming there for years. Now it's like a changing of the guard.'
Lisowski is a fan of reigning world champion Wu Yize and his predecessor Zhao Xintong, admiring their attacking style. 'Wu Yize, what a player. Honestly, it's unbelievable,' he said. 'I think now the game's changed, I think you've got to attack. That's how they play, so they just go for their shots, and it's easier that way.' He believes their approach can take snooker to a new level and makes the sport more exciting.
Belief for the Future
Lisowski hopes his first title will provide lasting confidence. 'Hopefully now that'll give me the belief, I think it will,' he said. 'When I find myself in a semi and I think I'm playing well, I'm going to have that in the back of my head now that I know I can do it.' He admitted that in the past, even when playing well, he didn't truly believe he could win. 'Whereas now, if anything good has come out of it, I think that it's knowing I can do it now.'
