Ronnie O’Sullivan is set to return to the iconic Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, where he aims to secure his eighth World Snooker Championship title. This would place him ahead of Stephen Hendry, who currently shares the record with seven titles. O’Sullivan achieved his seventh victory in 2022 by defeating Judd Trump 18-13 in the final, a feat that came more than two decades after his first world title.
Known as “The Rocket,” O’Sullivan is widely regarded as the greatest snooker player of all time. His influence on the sport has been unparalleled, and his presence in any match draws a massive following. The start of his latest campaign for an eighth title is highly anticipated, with fans lucky enough to have tickets for Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons in for a chance to witness his performance.
O’Sullivan’s journey begins against Chinese debutant He Guoqiang, who has defeated the 50-year-old in two of their three previous encounters. However, the pressure of the Crucible and the best-of-19 frame format present a different challenge altogether.
O’Sullivan has expressed satisfaction with his recent form. “I started playing alright a couple of weeks ago,” he said after beating John Higgins in the final of an exhibition in Ireland over the weekend. “For three years, I have been very poor, pretty much every day. So I didn’t think I’d ever have another day where I’d feel good. But the last month I’ve been feeling alright. So it was nice to feel comfortable at the table.”
Here’s everything you need to know about Ronnie O’Sullivan’s Crucible campaign:
When is the World Snooker Championship?
The main stage of the World Snooker Championship at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield starts on Saturday, 18 April, and runs until Monday, 4 May. The champion will be crowned in a best-of-35 final over two days.
When does Ronnie O’Sullivan play?
O’Sullivan begins his campaign with a best-of-19, first-round match against Chinese debutant He Guoqiang. The first session of their match, consisting of nine frames, is on Tuesday, 21 April, starting at 2.30pm. The concluding session of the match will take place exactly 24 hours later on Wednesday, 22 April, at 2.30pm.
If O’Sullivan advances, his second-round contest will be a best-of-25 frames across three sessions against either John Higgins or Ali Carter. The first session is on Saturday, 25 April, at 7pm, the second session on Sunday, 26 April, at 7pm, and the final session on Monday, 27 April, at 1pm.
How to watch the World Snooker Championship
Every session of every match at the 2026 World Snooker Championship will be live on the BBC, with coverage on BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Four, the BBC red button, BBC iPlayer, and the BBC Sport website. The tournament is also broadcast on TNT Sports in the UK, with every session shown across their channels. Subscribers can also use streaming service HBO Max to watch TNT Sports.
What’s the format?
First-round matches are the best of 19 frames. Second round and quarter-final matches are played over a maximum of 25 frames. The semi-finals increase to the best of 33 frames, and the final is played out over the best of 35 frames.
How much is the Crucible prize money?
The winner will receive £500,000, with a total prize fund of £2,395,000.
- Winner: £500,000
- Runner-up: £200,000
- Semi-finals: £100,000
- Quarter-finals: £50,000
- Last 16: £30,000
- Last 32: £20,000
- Last 48: £15,000
- Last 80: £10,000
- Last 112: £5,000
- Highest break: £15,000
- Maximum break: £40,000, paid out in addition to the highest break prize. The break bonuses are shared if two players hit the same total.
World Snooker Championship first-round schedule in full
(All times BST)
*denotes final session
Saturday 18 April
First round
10am
Zhao Xintong (1) vs Liam Highfield
Mark Allen (14) vs Zhang Anda
2.30pm
Xiao Guodong (9) vs Zhou Yuelong
Mark Williams (6) vs Antoni Kowalski
7pm
Zhao Xintong (1) vs Liam Highfield*
Barry Hawkins (11) vs Matthew Stevens
Sunday 19 April
First round
10am
Ding Junhui (16) vs David Gilbert
Mark Allen (14) vs Zhang Anda
2.30pm
John Higgins (5) vs Ali Carter
Barry Hawkins (11) vs Matthew Stevens
7pm
Xiao Guodong (9) vs Zhou Yuelong
Mark Williams (6) vs Antoni Kowalski
Monday 20 April
First round
10am
Ding Junhui (16) vs David Gilbert
Kyren Wilson (3) vs Stan Moody
2.30pm
John Higgins (5) vs Ali Carter
Wu Yize (10) vs Lei Peifan
7pm
Shaun Murphy (8) vs Fan Zhengyi
Kyren Wilson (3) vs Stan Moody*
Tuesday 21 April
First round
10am
Chris Wakelin (13) vs Liam Pullen
Judd Trump (2) vs Gary Wilson
2.30pm
Ronnie O’Sullivan (12) vs He Guoqiang
Wu Yize (10) vs Lei Peifan
7pm
Shaun Murphy (8) vs Fan Zhengyi
Judd Trump (2) vs Gary Wilson*
Wednesday 22 April
First round
10am
Chris Wakelin (13) vs Liam Pullen
Mark Selby (7) vs Jak Jones
2.30pm
Ronnie O’Sullivan (12) vs He Guoqiang
Si Jiahui (15) vs Hossein Vafaei
7pm
Neil Robertson (4) vs Pang Junxu
Mark Selby (7) vs Jak Jones*
Thursday 23 April
First round
1pm
Si Jiahui (15) vs Hossein Vafaei
7pm
Neil Robertson (4) vs Pang Junxu
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