Zhao can become world number one at the Crucible, but Trump remains in strong position

Trump has been snooker’s world number one since August 2024, and during most of that time he has held a substantial lead and been too far away for anyone to mathematically catch him.

However, with the blue riband tournament now here - carrying a top prize of £500,000 - there could be a new name at the head of the list come the end of the season.

Following his triumph at the recent Tour Championship in Manchester - where he dispatched Trump 10-3 in the final - reigning world champion Zhao Xintong is within striking distance.

The Chinese ace has moved up to a career-high world ranking of fourth after his third ranking crown of the campaign, and with little prize money to defend from his total for most of next season, it appears like a matter of time until Zhao will sit at the top.

However, there is another player who can usurp Trump in Sheffield - Neil Robertson.

The Australian scooped the half-a-million pound winner’s pot at the Saudi Arabia Masters back in August, and is currently third in the rankings.

Who will be world number one after the World Championship?

Heading into the 2026 World Snooker Championship, Trump still has a big lead at the top of the provisional world rankings.

In short, if the Englishman reaches the quarter-finals at the Crucible (therefore collecting at least £50,000), he is guaranteed to finish the season as the world number one, regardless of what anyone else around him does.

One player that cannot overtake him, though, is current world number two Kyren Wilson. With the world rankings system working on a two-year rolling list, Wilson is defending £500,000 from his cumulative tally due to winning the world title in 2024.

Robertson has had four different spells as the world number one, although the last of those came over a decade ago in January 2015. It was only towards the end of 2024 that he wasn’t even in the world’s top 16, yet alone be in the picture to become the numero uno.

Now 44 years of age, the 2010 World Champion has had a love-hate relationship with the Crucible down years having not been back to the final since, and only reaching the one-table set-up during that period in 2014. But if it all comes together once again for ‘The Thunder from Down Under’ in the ‘Steel City’ he could have two causes for celebration.

Should he lift the trophy on May 4th, and Trump did not reach the last eight earlier in the tournament, he would also be the world number one again.

Zhao’s equation to top the ratings by the end of this term is similar. Should the 29-year-old reigning champion go back-to-back in the biggest tournament of them all - in the process breaking the famous ‘Crucible Curse’ - he would be world number one if Trump lost in round one to a qualifier.

If this scenario occurs - it’s how John Higgins ended Stephen Hendry’s long reign as the WN1 in 1998 - then Zhao would take first by just £1,000.

Trump’s destiny is in his own hands, and the odds suggest that he will stay as the world number one at the end of this season - although the first round Crucible draw may make that situation more or less likely.

It’s later in the year when Trump’s number one spot will be in serious jeopardy, as he has £500,000 to defend at the next edition of the Saudi Arabia Masters, whenever that will take place next season.

‘The Ace in the Pack’ memorably won the inaugural staging of Saudi’s first ranking competition when he ousted Mark Williams on the final black in the deciding frame of the final.