Judd Trump set to be snooker's world number one after the Xi'an Grand Prix

Trump's 6-1 semi-final victory over Daniel Wells on Saturday in Xi'an means he is guaranteed to overtake Mark Allen - regardless of how he fares in the final against Kyren Wilson - when the rankings are updated on Monday.

It will be the fifth time in the Englishman's career that he has earned the world number one. Trump first reached the top of the tree near the end of 2012, holding top spot for five weeks before reclaiming the place for a further six weeks between February to March 2013.

"The Ace in the Pack" had to wait several years, though, to climb the rankings mountain again, but it would be his longest spell - to date - on top.

Having won the World Championship for the first time a few months earlier, Trump was world number one for a third time in August 2019, a position he held for 106 consecutive weeks and just over two calendar years.

His latest spell as world number one came in late 2021; the final day of that three-week stint was on November 7.

Trump's latest world number one accolade follows a sustained purple patch on the World Snooker Tour.

Whilst he had a relatively quiet 2022/23 season in ranked tournaments, it was the last campaign in 2023/24 where he racked up a huge amount of prize money which translated to his rankings. Trump won five ranking titles during the term - including three in a row - and made the final of another two ranking competitions.

If Trump defeats Wilson on Sunday in Xi’an, he will have recorded six ranking triumphs within the space of just 11 months.

With a two-year rolling list based on prize money, professional snooker's world ranking system is dynamic as the standings are updated after every ranking event.

Mark Allen became the world number one for the first time in his career following the 2024 World Championship. He was the 12th different player in professional snooker history to claim the accolade and the first from Northern Ireland.

Whilst this was the first ranking event Allen entered as the world number - he went out in the last 16 to Barry Hawkins - and his stay on top has been short, it is not the shortest-ever reign. Ding Junhui was initially world number one for a week in December 2014.

Snooker’s world rankings picture could change again in the coming weeks, though, with the big-money Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters taking place in Riyadh between August 30 to September 7. The winner of the new ranking event will scoop £500,000 - the same prize money that the winner of the World Championship receives.