The professional snooker circuit continues to expand with more big events, richer prize funds, and wider international television audiences than ever before.

Advertisement

The Far East – a huge consumer of snooker – is fully open for business again to host established and new tournaments, while 2024 was the year that the Middle East emerged as a significant force within the sport as Saudi Arabia held several very lucrative competitions for the first time.

Read more: Best snooker players of all time

With an action-packed calendar and a rolling ranking list, it can be tricky keeping track of the form guide. Considering results, notable performances, and reputation, we attempt to rate the top 10 snooker players in 2024.

Honourable mentions for Ali Carter, Gary Wilson and Shaun Murphy, who all just missed the cut this time.

RadioTimes.com ranks the 10 best snooker players in the world right now.

10. Xiao Guodong

Few would have predicted Xiao Guodong featuring on this list last year, but 'X-Factor' deserves his place in the top 10 following a breakthrough few months of personal firsts.

A player who had hovered inside the world’s top 32 rankings for several years and previously been to finals, China’s Xiao won his maiden ranking event title on home soil at the 2024 Wuhan Open.

Xiao continued his hot streak when missing out on the final of the International Championship by just one frame, before an incredible run to the title match of the Champion of Champions on debut.

9. John Higgins

Despite being in the autumn of his career, four-time world champion John Higgins is still one of the world’s elite with consistent runs at events.

Higgins momentarily dropped outside of the sport’s top 16 in 2024 – ending a staggering 29-year unbroken sequence inside it – but immediately returned the following week after reaching the British Open final.

At the preceding English Open, 'The Wizard' created history in becoming the second player ever to notch up 1,000 century breaks in professional events.

8. Si Jiahui

One of snooker’s most exciting young prospects, Si Jiahui’s stock continues to rise after his first two ranking event final appearances.

The 22-year-old Chinese burst through in 2023 when he made the semi-finals of the World Championship. He has built on that success this year, finishing runner-up at the German Masters and the Wuhan Open.

On home soil in Wuhan, Si constructed his first professional 147 during the last four.

A semi-final result at the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters helped him break into the world’s top 16 for the first time.

7. Ding Junhui

China’s original snooker superstar has recently seen several compatriots make big breakthroughs, but Ding Junhui remains the Far East’s top cueist.

At the Masters in January, Ding crafted a 147 – at the time only the fourth in the tournament’s history, from which he had made two.

On home soil, Ding reached the final of the World Open in Yushan but settled for silver. However, several months later, 'The Dragon' ended a near five-year wait for a ranking crown when he won the International Championship in Nanjing with huge local support behind him.

6. Mark Selby

Four-time Crucible King Mark Selby was left pondering his future following a shock first round exit at the 2024 World Championship, but the Englishman ends the year in a much better position and frame of mind on the baize.

Former world number one Selby won the Championship League Invitational in the spring and narrowly missed out on the Players Championship showpiece by a single frame.

A semi-finalist at the Shanghai Masters several weeks before, Selby marked his return to the winner's circle at the British Open - an event he was runner-up in the previous year. This was his 23rd ranking title.

5. Mark Allen

Mark Allen briefly held the world number one spot in 2024, becoming only the 12th player in professional snooker history to hold the status, and the first from Northern Ireland.

The accolade was reward for Allen’s most successful and consistent spell of his top tier career.

Despite this year not being as decorated as the last two, Allen did win the Players Championship and featured at the business end of several events.

Allen has compiled two competitive maximum 147 breaks in 2024, one of those coming at the iconic Alexandra Palace.

4. Mark Williams

With his 50th birthday on the horizon, evergreen Mark Williams continues to hold back the sands of time following a memorable 2024 that has seen him collect two big titles.

Three-time world champion Williams won the Tour Championship, defeating a string of top ranked opponents along the way.

The Welshman also lifted silverware at the Champion of Champions, and in between those triumphs he missed out on glory at the first Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters by the barest of margins in an epic final.

3. Ronnie O'Sullivan

Snooker’s GOAT continues to add accolades to his illustrious career CV.

'The Rocket' landed a record-extending eighth Masters crown at the start of 2024; his 23rd Triple Crown event title – five clear of second-placed Stephen Hendry on that list.

Remarkably, O’Sullivan won the World Grand Prix – a record-boosting 41st ranking success – the following weekend.

Several weeks later, O’Sullivan was irresistible when he bested at the inaugural World Masters of Snooker; Saudi Arabia’s first professional snooker event.

Runner-up at the Tour Championship as well, O’Sullivan doesn’t play in all the events available to him these days, but he remains snooker’s chief flagbearer.

2. Kyren Wilson

Kyren Wilson has experienced the best year of his career, achieving his dream of becoming world champion and backing up his new status with further success.

After a frustrating spell on the circuit, 'The Warrior' rediscovered his best form at the Crucible Theatre in the spring to win the sport’s ultimate prize for the first time.

Wilson is thriving whilst wearing the world crown, having secured two more ranking titles since at the Xi’an Grand Prix and Northern Ireland Open.

Up to a career high of world number two, Wilson will have his sights set on topping the standings in the future.

1. Judd Trump

Judd Trump has enjoyed another scintillating year and is the runaway world number one.

'The Ace in the Pack' has claimed five big titles throughout 2024 and pocketed around £1.75 million in tournament earnings.

The Bristolian won the inaugural Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters on the very last ball with a stunning counter clearance in the deciding frame of the final to scoop the half-a-million top prize.

UK Championship crown number two – snooker’s second most prestigious ranking title – also arrived, the 30th ranking accolade of his career.

At the 2024 British Open, Trump became the third player in history to compile 1,000 century breaks in professional competition.

Advertisement

Check out more of our Sport coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement