Stephen Hendry labels these as "worrying times" for top snooker star amidst slump in results

Trump's latest outing came at the recent Xi'an Grand Prix in China where he bowed out in the last 64 to the experienced Matthew Stevens in a deciding frame.

In the previous round, though, things appeared to be looking up for the 36-year-old as he compiled the ninth maximum 147 break of his professional career during a 5-2 win over three-time world women's champion Ng On Yee.

From the five ranking events he has featured in this term, so far, Trump has failed to reach a single quarter-final, and at the invitational Shanghai Masters he won a match before going out in the last eight.

And if you go further back, the former world champion has not lifted a trophy on the World Snooker Tour since claiming his second UK Championship crown at the beginning of last December.

Since then, he has ‘only’ appeared in the final of one event - the Players Championship in February where he was ousted by Kyren Wilson, 10-9 - although he did appear in the semi-finals of the Masters, World Grand Prix, and World Championship.

Whilst probably the overwhelming majority of the top-flight player roster would gleefully accept that series of results, for Trump it represents a downturn.

Within the 14 months working backwards from his UK triumph, he had incredibly reached 10 ranking finals, winning seven of them. He also won the invitational Shanghai Masters, and was runner-up at the 2023 Champion of Champions during that time.

It’s unfair to suggest that Trump should replicate that sort of golden purple patch, though.

Hendry on Trump’s current run of results in 2025

Speaking on the latest episode of the WST Snooker Club Podcast, 36-time ranking event winner Hendry feels that Trump should be concerned with these turn of events, saying: “Judd might not be worrying, but if I was Judd in his position as world number one I'd be worried.

“He's not won a tournament in the calendar year and he's world number one. He’s been so used to being an absolute serial winner the last three, four, five years...yeah, if I was him, I’d be worried. I’m not saying he is but I wouldn’t like to be in the situation because it just puts more pressure on the next event, and then the next event.

“It’s easy to say ‘I’m sure he’ll come good’ because he’s the world number one and he’s so good, but...you can’t really stay still or go back because there are so many more players there to take it off you.

“As I say, for me, it's worrying times for Judd”.

Trump still world number one, but languishing on the one-year list

On the updated world rankings list following the conclusion of the Xi’an Grand Prix, Trump remains as the runaway world number one. However, his lead at the top was cut by nearly £150,000, mainly because his winner’s prize money from the Wuhan Open two years before was removed. Kyren Wilson is currently in second place.

Trump’s latest spell at the front of snooker’s global standings has lasted over 13 months and counting. On the end-of-season provisional rankings he is also projected first, despite having to defend a lot of prize money from his tally this campaign.

On this season’s one-year list, though, it’s a very different story as Trump is currently stationed in 34th place.

Later in the term, this one-year list will determine who qualifies for the three Players Series events. The top 32 from it get invited to the World Grand Prix in Hong Kong, the top 16 receive tickets for the Players Championship in Telford, while the top 12 make the cut for the Tour Championship in Manchester.

There are several ranking events before the first of that trio is staged (World Grand Prix, February 3-8) so there is time for Trump - who has been using a new cue - to sort it out. It would seem unimaginable for him not to make it to Hong Kong.

On Trump’s recent performances and seasonal ranking concerns, Hendry added: “When he starts to lose, other players start to see that and then they're not quite as frightened going in against him; not quite as intimidated, are they?

“It's a different kind of pressure he's facing now. He's probably not faced that kind of pressure for I don't know how many years.

“He's automatically been in everything because he's just kept winning - always semis, finals, winning. To say that he needs performances to get in them three huge events (Players Series)...Grand Prix is in Hong Kong...he won't want to miss that one, and the Tour Championship right before the world - long frame matches, you don't want to miss that one. So yeah, it’s a pressure he’s not experienced”.

With all that’s been said, Hendry is backing ‘The Ace in the Pack’ to sort it out.

“I'm sure he'll turn it around because he's that good. He just needs a run of two or three matches where he wins them easily, wins them by playing really good snooker, not scraping through them but winning them convincingly, then I think that he’ll get his mojo back”.

Trump’s next engagement is set to be the 2025 Northern Ireland Open at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast where he meets recent British Open runner-up Anthony McGill. He will be going for a record-extending fifth NI Open title.