Order of play, match schedule for the 2026 Masters first round at the Alexandra Palace confirmed

Snooker’s most prestigious invitational competition - and the second Triple Crown event of the season - will hold its 52nd annual edition at the Alexandra Palace in London between January 11-18.

The top 16 in the world rankings immediately following the 2025 UK Championship have qualified for the tournament which carries a total prize fund of over £1 million and a winner’s purse of £350,000.

The draw was conducted during the first mid-session interval of the UK final between Judd Trump and Mark Selby, with the top eight seeds randomly drawn against those seeded 9 to 16.

Shaun Murphy claimed his second Masters crown - a decade on from his first - when he defeated Kyren Wilson 10-7 in the 2025 final. The defending champion will play in the opening match on Sunday afternoon at the ‘Ally Pally’ with Murphy facing Masters debutant Wu Yize.

Chinese youngster Wu recently won his maiden ranking event title at the International Championship, a result that pushed him into the world’s top 16 for the first time.

Later on day one, the tournament’s other debutant, Xiao Guodong, meets newly-minted UK Champion Selby.

Selby, who defeated Trump 10-8 in the final in York to claim his third UK crown, is aiming for his fourth Masters accolade.

Nine of the field in 2026 are former Masters champions, and two of them will face each other on Monday afternoon with Mark Williams up against Mark Allen. In the evening, reigning world champion Zhao Xintong - who is set to make only his second Masters appearance - plays Gary Wilson. Zhao requires this title to complete a Career Triple Crown.

On Tuesday, it’s 2025 runner-up Kyren Wilson versus Si Jiahui in the afternoon, and a few hours later John Higgins shares the baize with Barry Hawkins.

Wednesday at the Palace is set to be a blockbuster, with four of the most decorated champions in professional snooker history.

In the afternoon, world number one Trump plays Ding Junhui; they recently met in the quarter-finals of the UK at the Barbican Centre.

Then in the evening, world number three Neil Robertson and record eight-time Masters champion Ronnie O’Sullivan will conclude the opening round. The two played earlier this season in an epic Saudi Arabia Masters final which Robertson ousted in a deciding frame.

O’Sullivan - who lost in the first round of the recent UK Championship to qualifier Zhou Yuelong - cast doubt earlier this season on whether he will play in the upcoming Masters, but he has entered.

Now living in Dubai and with visa restrictions on how many days he can spend in the UK, it looks promising for O’Sullivan fans that his encounter with Robertson is the final match of round one, perhaps suggesting his intentions for playing in it.

Seeing O’Sullivan scheduled for an evening fixture at a Triple Crown event is a rarity these days, with host broadcaster the BBC preferring to put him on in the afternoon when they generally have the most coverage on their main channels.

Of course, there is no guarantee that O’Sullivan will definitely play; last year, he withdrew from defending his Masters crown just days before his opening match after deliberately snapping his cue in frustration at the Championship League Invitational.

Should O’Sullivan decide to withdraw, 17th placed in the world rankings Chris Wakelin would be first in line to receive a call-up.

All matches at the 2026 Masters are the best of 11 frames, with the exception of the two-session best of 19 final.

The order of play for the quarter-finals (15 & 16 January) and semi-finals (17 January) will be released by tournament organisers closer to the time, probably depending on the first round results and television schedule.