Thepchaiya Un-Nooh, the unlikely World Open champion who didn't pack enough pants or socks

Un-Nooh came into this year’s edition already with a proud World Open record. He reached the semi-finals of it in 2016, and three years later appeared in his maiden ‘full format’ ranking event final, although he was denied the trophy by then reigning world champion and world number one Judd Trump.

In between those business-end returns, Un-Nooh - possibly the quickest cueist on the professional snooker tour in recent times - secured his first ranking event crown at the 2019 Snooker Shoot Out.

The Thai ace broke into the world’s elite top 16 rankings for the first time in October 2020, becoming the first player from his country to do so since Asian snooker trailblazer James Wattana.

But since those heady days, ‘F1’ gradually slipped down the standings grid with very few deep runs to his name. In fact, before his successful week in Yushan, Un-Nooh was ranked 39th and had made only one ranking event quarter-final since his entry into the top 16 around five-and-a-half years ago - a semi-final finish at the 2022 Scottish Open.

Un-Nooh was still very consistent, though, in getting victories on tour and accumulating prize money - in two of the latest three completed campaigns he pocketed over £90,000 in seasonal earnings - but he was becoming a bit of a mid-card player.

This season was another prime example of that. He banked a tidy sum in getting to the last 32 stage of the Saudi Arabia Masters, and reached the last 16 of the Wuhan, Northern Ireland, and Scottish Opens. Un-Nooh managed to qualify for the World Grand Prix in Hong Kong - a Players Series event exclusively for the top 32 players on the one-year list - although he was whitewashed 5-0 by Chris Wakelin in round one there.

From little form to big win for Un-Nooh

In this new year of 2026, Un-Nooh lost his second match in German Masters qualifying, was eliminated in his first match of Welsh Open qualifying, and then swept by Wakelin at the opening hurdle in the Far East.

There was nothing to really suggest that Un-Nooh would go on a run in the World Open, but the competition ended up being a career-rejuvenating one, and his biggest accolade yet.

His journey began at the qualifiers in Barnsley where he dispatched Mohammed Shehab 5-0 before comfortable victories over David Grace (5-1), Michael Holt (5-1), Marco Fu (5-2) and Gary Wilson (5-1) at the Yushan Sports Centre main venue in China.

Getting so far in the £825,000 world ranking event was clearly a surprise to Thepchaiya himself, who posted a photo on social media of him washing his underwear and socks in his hotel sink as he hadn’t packed enough pairs for the trip.

Having dropped only five frames in five matches en route to the semi-finals, he overcame the disappointment of losing the opening frame of his last four clash with world number one Judd Trump having put his opponent in the position of requiring four snookers.

In a crazy finish to frame ten that saw him miss a routine pink, Un-Nooh composed himself to sink a difficult long black and reach his first ranking final since the same event around six-and-a half years ago.

How Un-Nooh overcame O’Sullivan in epic World Open final

From the sport’s top ranked star to arguably the greatest star it has even seen in the final - a reenergised Ronnie O’Sullivan, who a few days before had compiled a world record break of 153.

In their only previous multi-session meeting, O’Sullivan had blitzed him 10-1 at the 2020 World Snooker Championship in record-breaking time, and Un-Nooh could have been fearing the worst again as ‘The Rocket’ established a 4-0 lead.

But in a dramatic contest of wild momentum swings, the green baize speedster took the next five frames in-a-row for an afternoon session lead of 5-4.

On resumption a few hours later, Un-Nooh went two clear after a brilliant counter clearance of 50 to pinch frame 10 on the final black, before O’Sullivan fashioned a signature spell of magic snooker with three century breaks in consecutive frames to go 7-6 up.

However, the mid-session interval brought about another seismic shift in fortunes as Un-Nooh conjured up one of the most destructive purple patches at the business end of a final you’ll ever likely witness.

An effort of 77 got him back on level terms before he strung together total clearances of 132, a maximum 147 break, and a title-winning 131 in a staggering four-frame burst.

Despite completing snooker perfection for the seventh time in pro competition, Un-Nooh won’t receive a penny in bonuses due to O’Sullivan trousering the high break prize.

That’s likely to be only an afterthought for Un-Nooh, though, who banks the £175,000 winner’s purse - by far the richest payday of his career.

With add-ons, this title will earn the Thai talent more than that. He’ll get an invite to the Champion of Champions later this year, and he has gatecrashed his way into the Tour Championship held in Manchester in a few weeks time.

Up 17 places in the revised world rankings to 22nd, he even has an outside chance of being a top 16 seed for the upcoming 2026 World Snooker Championship - therefore avoiding the hassle of the qualifying rounds.

Aged 40-years-old, Un-Nooh still has time to use this unexpected result to kick on and reach new heights within the sport.

To view the full draw, results, schedule, and other information from the 2026 World Open, visit here.