Stephen Hendry, the seven-time world champion, has unveiled his ranking of the top 16 snooker players from the last 50 years, a list certain to ignite debate among fans and pundits alike. The list, which covers the Crucible era starting from the 1976/77 season, notably excludes several former world champions while including three players who have never conquered the Crucible Theatre.
Modern players favoured over legends
Hendry's selections lean heavily toward modern players, with iconic figures like Ray Reardon, Cliff Thorburn, and John Spencer missing out. Others initially considered, such as Ken Doherty and John Parrott—both former world champions—were also omitted. Hendry, who naturally included himself, placed himself near the top of the list, reflecting his extraordinary career achievements.
Speaking on the World Snooker Tour's Snooker Club podcast, Hendry explained his reasoning: "Obviously what they've won has got to come into it, how successful [they've been]. I think players I enjoy watching will have to come into it." He added that his lack of familiarity with earlier stars influenced his decisions: "John Spencer and Ray Reardon I didn't play against and didn't really watch a lot of them actually playing, so I probably won't include them for the simple reason I didn't watch them play a lot."
The top 16 list
Hendry's ranking includes a mix of past and present greats, with several tied positions. The list is as follows:
- 15= Kyren Wilson: 1 World Championship, 2 Triple Crowns, 10 ranking titles
- 15= Mark Allen: 0 World Championships, 2 Triple Crowns, 12 ranking titles
- 14. Alex Higgins: 2 World Championships (1 in Crucible era), 5 Triple Crowns, 1 ranking title
- 13. Paul Hunter: 0 World Championships, 3 Triple Crowns, 3 ranking titles
- 12. Neil Robertson: 1 World Championship, 6 Triple Crowns, 26 ranking titles
- 11. Ding Junhui: 0 World Championships, 4 Triple Crowns, 15 ranking titles
- 10. Shaun Murphy: 1 World Championship, 4 Triple Crowns, 13 ranking titles
- 9. Zhao Xintong: 1 World Championship, 2 Triple Crowns, 6 ranking titles
- 8. Jimmy White: 0 World Championships, 2 Triple Crowns, 10 ranking titles
- 7. Steve Davis: 6 World Championships, 15 Triple Crowns, 28 ranking titles
- 6. Judd Trump: 1 World Championship, 5 Triple Crowns, 31 ranking titles
- 5. Mark Selby: 4 World Championships, 10 Triple Crowns, 25 ranking titles
- 3= Mark Williams: 3 World Championships, 7 Triple Crowns, 27 ranking titles
- 3= John Higgins: 4 World Championships, 9 Triple Crowns, 33 ranking titles
- 2. Stephen Hendry: 7 World Championships, 18 Triple Crowns, 36 ranking titles
- 1. Ronnie O'Sullivan: 7 World Championships, 23 Triple Crowns, 41 ranking titles
Hendry's rationale for top two
Regarding his decision to place Ronnie O'Sullivan above himself, Hendry said: "I'm tempted purely for argumentative purposes to put myself above Ronnie because the backlash would be huge. He's got to be above me for the fact that he's won eight Masters and eight UK Championships. 17 maximums, 1,400 century breaks."
The list has already sparked discussion, particularly the inclusion of Zhao Xintong and Paul Hunter over multiple world champions. Hendry's criteria combined tournament success with personal enjoyment of watching players, which he acknowledged may be subjective.
