Seven-Time World Champion Stephen Hendry Unveils Elite Snooker List
Stephen Hendry, a legendary figure in the sport with seven world championships to his name, has unveiled his meticulously curated list of the top 16 snooker players from the last five decades. This exclusive selection, focusing on the Crucible era dating back to the 1976/77 season, is poised to ignite considerable discussion among fans and experts alike.
Notable omissions from Hendry’s esteemed roster include several former world champions, while surprisingly, three players who have never lifted the ultimate prize at the Crucible have earned a place. Hendry’s assessment appears to lean towards more contemporary talent, leading to the exclusion of icons such as Ray Reardon, Cliff Thorburn, and John Spencer.
Further down the consideration process, players like Ken Doherty and John Parrott, despite their significant achievements including winning the world championship, also did not make the final cut. Hendry, naturally, included himself in the rankings, acknowledging his own decorated career and its impact on the sport.
Hendry’s Elite 16 Revealed on Snooker Club Podcast
The comprehensive list was disclosed on the World Snooker Tour’s Snooker Club podcast, offering insight into Hendry’s criteria, which balances on-table success with personal enjoyment of a player’s style.
Here are the 16 players Hendry considers the pinnacle of the sport over the past 50 years:
- 15 = Kyren Wilson
World Championships: 1
Triple Crowns: 2
Ranking Titles: 10 - 15 = Mark Allen
World Championships: 0
Triple Crowns: 2
Ranking Titles: 12 - 14. Alex Higgins
World Championships: 2 (1 in Crucible era)
Triple Crowns: 5
Ranking Titles: 1 (Note: World rankings were established after some of Higgins’ titles) - 13. Paul Hunter
World Championships: 0
Triple Crowns: 3
Ranking Titles: 3 - 12. Neil Robertson
World Championships: 1
Triple Crowns: 6
Ranking Titles: 26 - 11. Ding Junhui
World Championships: 0
Triple Crowns: 4
Ranking Titles: 15 - 10. Shaun Murphy
World Championships: 1
Triple Crowns: 4
Ranking Titles: 13 - 9. Zhao Xintong
World Championships: 1
Triple Crowns: 2
Ranking Titles: 6 - 8. Jimmy White
World Championships: 0
Triple Crowns: 2
Ranking Titles: 10 - 7. Steve Davis
World Championships: 6
Triple Crowns: 15
Ranking Titles: 28 - 6. Judd Trump
World Championships: 1
Triple Crowns: 5
Ranking Titles: 31 - 5. Mark Selby
World Championships: 4
Triple Crowns: 10
Ranking Titles: 25 - 3 = Mark Williams
World Championships: 3
Triple Crowns: 7
Ranking Titles: 27 - 3 = John Higgins
World Championships: 4
Triple Crowns: 9
Ranking Titles: 33 - 2. Stephen Hendry
World Championships: 7
Triple Crowns: 18
Ranking Titles: 36 - 1. Ronnie O’Sullivan
World Championships: 7
Triple Crowns: 23
Ranking Titles: 41
Hendry Explains Top Two Decision
Addressing his top two selections, Hendry commented on the intense rivalry and the factors influencing his placement of Ronnie O’Sullivan above himself. “I’m tempted purely for argumentative purposes to put myself above Ronnie because the backlash would be huge,” Hendry admitted. “He’s got to be above me for the fact that he’s won eight Masters and eight UK Championships. 17 maximums, 1,400 century breaks.””
Elaborating on his broader selection process, Hendry stated, “Obviously what they’ve won has got to come into it, how successful [they’ve been]. I think players I enjoy watching will have to come into it.” He further explained the absence of earlier era players, noting, “John Spencer and Ray Reardon I didn’t play against and didn’t really watch a lot of them actually playing, so I probably won’t include them for the simple reason I didn’t watch them play a lot.””
