Crucible draw taking shape as snooker's top 16 stars discover bracket positions

Following John Higgins' title victory at the Tour Championship on Sunday night in Manchester, the world rankings have been updated and the order of the top 16 seeds for the Crucible in a few weeks time has been confirmed.

A total of 144 players are set to take part in this year's World Championship, although only the world's top 16 cueists are guaranteed a spot at the Crucible for the televised stages which are played between April 19 to May 5.

All the other contestants must go to the qualifying rounds which are held at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield between April 7-16, where there are 16 spots up for grabs to join the top seeds in the 32-player main draw.

The qualifiers will be randomly drawn against a top 16 player in round one at the Crucible. This draw is expected to take place at around 08:45BST on Thursday 17th April on BBC Radio 5 Live and the BBC Sport website.

Whilst that element of the draw is random, the world's top 16 players are already fixed into the draw bracket - and this was sorted after Higgins' Tour triumph as he moved up to number three in the world.

Who are the seeds for the 2025 World Snooker Championship and where do they sit in the draw bracket?

As the reigning and defending champion, Kyren Wilson is the number one seed for the 2025 World Snooker Championship and sits at the top of the draw.

As per tradition, Wilson will play and complete his first round match on the opening day on Saturday 19th April, featuring in the morning and evening sessions against a qualifier.

World number one Judd Trump is the number two seed for the tournament and is placed at the bottom of the draw.

Wilson and Trump have already faced each other three times in finals this season, although the only time in Crucible history that the event's top two seeds reached the final was in 1987 between Joe Johnson and Steve Davis.

The remaining seed numbers are the same as the top 16 from the world rankings.

On paper, the top quarter of the draw looks particularly tasty.

There could be a rerun of last year's final between Wilson and Jak Jones in round two - Jones is one of three players who are Crucible seeds for the first time - while Neil Robertson and Mark Allen could also meet in the last 16.

In the second quarter of the draw, the two highest ranked seeds are Mark Selby (4) and Ronnie O'Sullivan (5), meaning they would share the baize if they both made the quarter-finals. Chinese duo Zhang Anda (12) and Si Jiahui (13) are the other seeds stationed here.

O’Sullivan’s participation in the blue riband event is doubtful, as the seven-time champion has not competed on the professional circuit since the start of January.

The 49-year-old Englishman has recently said that he will decide a few days before the Crucible stages start on whether he will play.

If O’Sullivan withdraws before the third qualifying round starts on Saturday 12th April, the draw below would significantly change as world number 17 Gary Wilson would become the number 16 seed, and several others above him would move up a spot on the ladder.

Should O’Sullivan withdraw after April 12th, his first round opponent at the Crucible would receive a bye into the last 16.

It was only earlier this season that Higgins fell outside the world's top 16 for the first time in over 29 years.

However, after two ranking event glories within the space of six weeks at the World Open and Tour Championship, the great Scot is back into the world's top three.

Four-time Crucible champion Higgins occupies the third quarter with fellow seeds Xiao Guodong (14), Barry Hawkins (11) and Mark Williams (6).

In the bottom quarter, 2019 champion Trump would have a blockbuster round two tie with 2005 champion Shaun Murphy (15) should both pass their opening round assignments.

Further up this mini section are two of snooker's greatest non-UK players - Luca Brecel (7) and Ding Junhui (10).

Champion here two years ago in swashbuckling fashion, Belgium’s Brecel is defending £500,000 from his rolling ranking total, and needs a deep run to avoid plummeting down the world rankings.

Of course, whilst the top 16 seeds are the most fancied to go far in the tournament, their progression has never been more doubtful because of the strength and depth of the World Snooker Tour.

At last year’s Championship, three qualifiers made it through to the one-table set-up for the semi-finals - David Gilbert, Jak Jones and Stuart Bingham - while Wilson went into the 2024 campaign as the number 12 seed.