Ranked: The 15 greatest snooker players of all time

Snooker began in India in 1875 and has become a sport known for its great skill and creative mastery over the years. Since the first World Championship in 1927, many talented players have significantly impacted the sport's global level.

Dennis Taylor is best known for beating world number one Steve Davis in the 1985 World Championship final, which 18.5 million people watched in the UK. He won the 1984 Grand Prix and the Masters in 1987.

Ding Junhui is the most successful Asian player in snooker history. He has won 15 major ranking titles, including three UK Championships, and was the first Asian to be ranked world number one.

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Shaun Murphy secured a World Championship in 2005 and has consistently won and made the final rounds of tournaments. 'The Magician' has completed the Triple Crown and reached four finals in 2023, winning three.

Australian Neil Robertson was one of the most prolific winners on the main tour and won the World Championship in 2010. The Aussie has won the UK Championship three times and is the former world number 1.

Jimmy White did nothing but lose the World Championship in the 1990s, losing six finals. However, according to RadioTimes, White is one of the most popular snooker players of all time, having won the World Matchplay twice and the 1984 Masters.

During his career, Ray Reardon was known for bringing jokes to the snooker table, but he wasn't to be taken for a joke while playing. He won his first World Championship in 1970 and five further world titles. He was the first player to be ranked number one when the rankings started in 1976.

Joe Davis was the man who started it all for the popularity of snooker in Britain, winning the first-ever World Championship in 1927. Davis won the World Championship for 15 consecutive years and retired without losing a single game in the tournament.

Judd Trump is the current star of the day in snooker, and became only the fifth player in snooker history to win three ranking titles in a row in 2021. Trump is the current world number 1 and was the 2019 world champion. He has 30 ranking titles and over 1,000 century breaks.

Mark Williams is a former three-time world champion and a former three-time world number one. He is one of the most dominant players of all time, securing 26 ranking titles, with his most recent victory being the Tour Championship in 2024.

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Between 2014 and 2021, Mark Selby won four out of the eight World Championships at the Crucible, establishing himself as one of the hardest players to beat. He has secured three Masters titles and two UK Championships.

According to Sky History, John Higgins has four World Championships, three UK Championships, and two Masters titles. Between 1996 and 2012, Higgins never dropped below sixth in the world rankings.

The 'Hurricane' Alex Higgins had a turbulent life on and off the table. Higgins lived a chaotic party lifestyle. His unique personality and ability to win contributed to the sport's meteoric rise in the 1980s. He is a two-time world champion. He died in 2010 after a long battle with cancer.

Steve Davis retired from an illustrious career in 2016 after winning six World Championships and establishing himself as one of snooker's first major stars in the 1980s. He was world number one for seven consecutive years and secured 28 ranking titles in his career.

Stephen Hendry dominated the snooker scene in the 1990s, securing a record-equally seven World Championships. 'The Golden Boy' has a remarkable 36 tournament victories, per Sports Boom. His 11 Maximum Breaks is third all-time behind John Higgins and our number one.

The prominent number one is GOAT Ronnie O'Sullivan. He holds seven World Championships, a record eight Masters titles, and a record eight UK Championships. His 23 Triple Crown titles are a record, and his 41 ranking titles are also the best. The sport has never seen a player so naturally talented.

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