Stephen Hendry perplexed by world number one Judd Trump's World Snooker Championship record

Seven-times world snooker champion Hendry was in the BBC commentary box on Monday night for the final session of the epic last 16 encounter between Trump and qualifier Hossein Vafaei.

Having defeated his opponent on the Crucible stage twice before in 2022 and 2024, it seemed as if Trump was on course for a hat-trick of wins as he led 10-7.

But Iran’s number one player produced some stunning snooker to dismiss the five-time Triple Crown event winner and become the first player from his country to reach the quarter-finals of snooker’s premier tournament.

The result put Trump’s world number one status in jeopardy, but as Neil Robertson exited the competition a couple of days later to John Higgins in the quarter-finals, the Bristolian will remain at the top of the global standings heading into next season.

For one of professional snooker’s most decorated players of all time, Trump’s Crucible record could be viewed by some as an underwhelming one.

He has landed the big one, though, - and in spectacular fashion - in 2019 when he defeated John Higgins 18-9 after making seven century breaks in the final.

Since his finest day in the sport seven years ago, Trump has won a further 23 professional titles, but none of them have been another world crown.

During his season as the world champion, Trump won a record six ranking event titles, although he became another victim of the ‘Crucible Curse’ on his world title defence when he bowed out to eventual runner-up Kyren Wilson in the last eight in Sheffield.

The following term, Trump scooped another five ranking accolades, a feat he replicated during the 2023/24 campaign. But at the end of those very fruitful seasons, neither saw him claim another world crown - in 2021 he lost to Shaun Murphy in the quarter-finals, and in 2024 he was shocked by qualifier Jak Jones at the same last eight stage.

Having spent two very short spells as the world number one in late 2012/early 2013, Trump returned to the top of the rankings tree not long after winning the world title. He held that position for two years.

Trump's current stint as top dog began in August 2024, but his status will be in major doubt later this year when he has £500,000 coming off his total due to winning the 2024 Saudi Arabia Masters - an amount he can’t fully defend in one go due to future editions of the tournament being scrapped.

On numbers alone, the stats point to Trump being the most successful and consistent player over the past seven years on the professional tour, but his shortcomings at the Crucible are often used against him when fans discuss his position within the all-time greats of the sport.

Analysing Judd Trump’s Crucible record

Trump made his Crucible debut as a teenager in 2007. His next trip to snooker’s grandest stage was in 2011 and highly anticipated as he had just made his big career breakthrough by winning his maiden ranking event title at the China Open.

On the opening day of the competition he knocked out defending champion Neil Robertson, and with his own brand of ‘naughty snooker’ went all the way to the final where he led Higgins after the opening day before experience may have told and he had to settle for silver.

‘The Ace in the Pack’ made the semi-finals in Sheffield in 2013 and 2015, but had to wait until 2019 to feature in another final where he gained green baize revenge on Higgins in snooker’s biggest fixture.

Another final outing arrived in 2022 when he lost to Ronnie O’Sullivan - who secured his record-equalling seventh Crucible crown - and last year he made the one-table set-up again but was denied by another ‘Class of 92’ member, Mark Williams.

Clearly, Trump has been to the business end of the Championship several times over the past decade and a half, but it’s a record that Hendry has suggested could be better.

During the closing stages of the tie between Trump and Vafaei, the Scot said in the comms box: "It's amazing; for all his dominance over the past five, ten years - serial winner, winning everything over and over again, Judd Trump, but he's not had the same dominance in this place.

“He's won it once, been in the final a couple of times, but he's just not been able to exert the same dominance over everyone else in this tournament at this venue.

"It looks like another world championship is slipping by for the world number one."

Trump currently has 31 career ranking event titles to his name, placing him fourth on the all-time list - five behind second-placed Hendry, and ten adrift of the pace-setter Ronnie O’Sullivan.

One of snooker’s greatest entertainers, Trump would dearly love to join an exclusive club of multiple-time world champions, but he took his defeat to Vafaei graciously, warmly congratulating his opponent in the arena.

Speaking to the BBC after his exit, Trump had no complaints: "It hurts but I had my chances. When you know you didn't play a good shot it's not like you've been unlucky.

"I'm not angry about it, I just was not good enough."

To view the full draw, results, schedule, and other information from the 2026 World Snooker Championship, visit our tournament information centre here.