As the 2025/26 snooker season moves into its decisive phase, attention turns to the final three tournaments before the World Championship begins at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield on April 18. With storylines developing across the tour, two major themes dominate: Zhao Xintong’s attempt to end the infamous Crucible Curse and Ronnie O’Sullivan’s pursuit of form ahead of a potential eighth world title bid.
This season has been unusually open. Barry Hawkins’ recent Welsh Open victory means 14 different players have claimed titles across 15 ranking events. Only three competitors have lifted more than one trophy, underlining the campaign’s unpredictability.
Race for the Tour Championship
The penultimate event, the Tour Championship in Manchester, will feature the top 12 players on the one-year ranking list competing for £150,000. It is the final leg of the Players Series, with Zhao already winning the first two events the World Grand Prix and Players Championship.
Neil Robertson currently leads the one-year standings, followed by Zhao Xintong and Mark Selby. The chasing pack includes Judd Trump, Mark Williams, Barry Hawkins and John Higgins. O’Sullivan and Mark Allen occupy the final qualification spots, with several contenders close behind heading into the World Open in China.
O’Sullivan’s Schedule Uncertainty
O’Sullivan, now 50, has played only eight tournaments this season and just two since January. His deepest run came at the Saudi Arabia Masters in August. Notably, he has appeared only once in the UK this campaign, raising doubts about whether he will contest the Manchester event.
He is expected to feature at the World Open in Yushan, potentially using it as preparation for Sheffield. Despite limited appearances, most observers anticipate he will compete at the Crucible as he targets a record-breaking eighth world crown. He has also committed to the World Seniors Championship in May.
Can Zhao Break the Crucible Curse?
Since the tournament moved to the Crucible Theatre in 1977, no first-time world champion has successfully defended the title a phenomenon widely known as the Crucible Curse.
Zhao now attempts to defy that history. Between 2023 and 2025, three first-time winners emerged: Luca Brecel, Kyren Wilson and Zhao. However, both Brecel and Wilson exited in the first round during their title defences, preserving the curse.
Unlike his predecessors, Zhao arrives in strong form. After a modest start to the season, he captured the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship and followed it with consecutive triumphs at the World Grand Prix and Players Championship. Those performances have positioned the 28-year-old among the leading favourites for Sheffield.
As the curtain falls on the campaign, the central questions remain: will O’Sullivan rediscover his sharpest level, and can Zhao accomplish what no debut champion has managed in nearly five decades?
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