Trump Names Best Snooker Players of His Era, but Does Not View Zhao Xintong as His Rival

While world No. 3 Judd Trump is preparing to face Scottish star Anthony McGill, he also took time to select the five best snooker players of the same era. The list ranks Ronnie O'Sullivan first, followed by John Higgins, Mark Williams, Mark Selby, and finally Trump himself. He said the selection was based on the condition that only players from his own era were considered, rather than the greatest players in the entire history of snooker.

Trump emphasized that he had not personally witnessed the peak performances of some historical greats, making it difficult to rank them fairly. In contrast, he has a better understanding of the era he competes in, which allowed him to place O'Sullivan at the top. He added that because Hendry's dominant period came before he entered the scene, he could only remember some of Hendry's later-career defeats. If he had experienced Hendry's entire great career firsthand, he might have ranked him second or third.

Trump placed the 33-time ranking event champion Higgins second, followed by the 27-time ranking event champion Mark Williams, then the 26-time ranking event champion Selby, with Trump himself last on the list. He admitted that the rankings reflect his understanding and feelings about modern snooker competition.

At the same time, Trump does not believe newly crowned world No. 1 Zhao Xintong is his arch-rival. Although he acknowledged that he gives his full effort whenever he faces Zhao because he is confident in his ability to beat him, Trump said there is no intense rivalry between them because the two players are from different generations.

Trump praised Zhao Xintong as the best-performing player at present, saying Zhao has remained consistent since winning the World Grand Prix title in 2023. In addition, Zhao achieved several major tournament victories in 2026, including reaching the final of the Wuhan Open. Trump said: “Against a player like this, anyone as a professional should give their full effort. I feel that I have not been at my peak for some time, and I hope to continue proving my ability.”