Snooker is experiencing an extraordinary period of parity, with 13 different champions crowned in the first 14 tournaments of the 2025-26 season. This remarkable run includes winners such as Wu Yize, Jack Lisowski, and Alfie Burden, who all claimed their first ranking titles. Notably absent from the list of champions are current world No. 1 Judd Trump, all-time great Ronnie O'Sullivan, four-time world champion John Higgins, and Chinese icon Ding Junhui.
Mark Selby is the only player to win multiple events this season, triumphing at the Champion of Champions in Leicester and the UK Championship three weeks later. The diversity extends to finalists, with 23 different players contesting the 28 available final spots. Judd Trump has reached three finals but lost them all, while Selby, Shaun Murphy, and Neil Robertson have each appeared in two.
This level of parity marks a significant shift from snooker's traditional dominance by a small elite. Steve Davis ruled the 1980s, Stephen Hendry the 1990s, followed by the 'class of 92' – O'Sullivan, Higgins, and Mark Williams. In contrast, the 2023-24 season saw just eight different winners from the first 18 events.
Opinions differ on the reasons for this change. Seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry attributes it to increased depth in the game, particularly among players ranked 10 to 40. 'The standard generally is very high, but it's down the rankings where it shows to me more than anywhere else,' he said. Conversely, Ronnie O'Sullivan has suggested the quality of players is declining, making tournaments easier to win. 'I think it's easier to win tournaments now than it ever has been,' he stated last year.
The increase in the number of tournaments also contributes to more winners, as players cannot peak for all 20-plus ranking events and often skip some. In the 2005-06 season, there were just six ranking events; now there are around 20. While the variety generates more stories and interest, it raises questions about long-term appeal, similar to the debate in tennis between dominant stars and broader competition.
