Jak Jones defeated Mark Selby 10-6 in the British Open final on Sunday, securing his second ranking title of the season. The 33-year-old Welshman, who first turned professional in 2010, had previously reached the World Championship final in 2024 without winning a major trophy. His victory at the Centaur Arena in Cheltenham follows his Championship League win at the start of the season, marking a dramatic upturn in a career that had been defined by persistence.
Victory over top-ranked opponents
Jones’s path to the title included a semi-final win over Judd Trump and a last-32 defeat of Chang Bingyu. That meant he eliminated the three other players who had won titles this season: Selby (China Open), Trump (Shanghai Masters), and Chang (Wuhan Open). The random draw pitted him against a series of in-form opponents, and he emerged victorious against all of them.
After the final, Jones told Channel 5: “It’s been difficult for the last 15 years. I’ve been battling away, especially for my parents and my wife and son. It’s unbelievable because I haven’t really achieved a lot in the game, but this season, to start winning things just feels amazing. It’s all worth it, I suppose. It’s nice for my parents to finally have something to cheer about!”
Family commitments and fatigue
Jones’s personal life has been as demanding as his professional schedule. He and his wife are expecting their second child within the next 10 days, a fact he shared with Metro after his first win in Cheltenham on Tuesday. “In the next 10 days or so. So not ideal preparation, no. My mind’s on other things I suppose at the moment, more important things. But I’ll keep turning up and then hopefully when the little one’s here we can relax,” he said.
The commute from his home in Cwmbran to Cheltenham each day took a physical toll. Jones said he did not stay in a hotel and travelled back and forth for every match, leaving him exhausted by the final. “I didn’t stay in a hotel at all. I was travelling back and forth. That wasn’t ideal, really. Because I was playing in the evening, I was getting home at 1am every morning. But I was kind of getting away with it because I was playing in the evening all the time, until today, where it was a bit of a struggle. I felt unbelievably tired. So, I wouldn’t say I played with freedom, but I had other things on my mind, I suppose,” he explained.
Tribute to parents and next steps
Jones paid tribute to his parents, Debbie and Colin, after collecting the £100,000 top prize. “Unbelievable. They’ve gone through all the struggles with me. They’ve supported me from the beginning, taken me everywhere, no matter where it is. My mum still takes me to all the airports now for all the tournaments. She wanted to bring me up here today, but I told her to stay at home just in case my wife needed her. They’ve been unbelievable. Right from first picking a cue up. Taking me all around the UK, Europe, the world. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without them, that’s for sure,” he said.
Jones has withdrawn from the English Open in Brentwood, where he was scheduled to play Chang Bingyu again on Monday. “No, my wife would kill me, I think,” he said. He is expected to return to action on September 17, when he faces Liam Pullen in an International Championship qualifier in Leicester.
