Judd Trump's reign as snooker's world number one is hanging by a thread after a stunning 6-3 first-round defeat to Thailand's Noppon Saengkham at the China Open in Taiyuan on Sunday. The former world champion, who had triumphed at the Shanghai Masters earlier this month, failed to reproduce that form and now faces an uphill battle to retain his top ranking.
Saengkham's impressive display
Saengkham, ranked 37th in the world, produced a clinical performance, compiling breaks of 120, 78, 64, and 51 to dispatch Trump. The Thai player will now face either Ronnie O'Sullivan or Jackson Page in the last 16, with both players yet to complete their first-round matches.
Trump's early exit is a catastrophic blow to his hopes of staying at the summit of the rankings. Snooker's world rankings are based on prize money accumulated over a two-year rolling period, and Trump has £500,000 set to drop off his total after the Wuhan Open later this month, a sum he earned by winning the 2024 Saudi Arabia Masters.
Rankings math and the Wuhan Open
The Saudi Arabia Masters is no longer on the calendar, meaning Trump cannot defend that prize money. The China Open, which returned to the tour this season for the first time since 2019, offered Trump a chance to recoup some points, but his first-round exit means he earns nothing from the event.
Trump still has the upcoming Wuhan Open to try and salvage his position, but his grip on the world number one spot is now very flimsy. Three players in the chasing pack are within striking distance and remain in the China Open field, which boasts a top prize of £250,000.
The challengers: Robertson, Zhao, and Wu
Neil Robertson, currently world number two, owes his position largely to his own victory at the Saudi Arabia Masters last year. Behind him are 2025 world champion Zhao Xintong at number three and current world champion Wu Yize at four. All three have realistic chances of overtaking Trump this month if they can go deep in Taiyuan and Wuhan.
Zhao Xintong holds a significant advantage: he has no ranking points to defend this season, having been absent from the professional tour two years ago due to a ban. In contrast, both Robertson and Wu will have points coming off their totals this month, while every point Zhao earns will be pure profit on his total.
Historic context and next matches
There have been only 12 world number ones in snooker history, with Robertson among those who have previously held the top spot. If Zhao or Wu were to climb to the summit, they would become the 13th different world number one in the sport's history.
Robertson begins his China Open campaign on Monday against China's rising star Chang Bingyu, a player who has impressed on the tour this season. Zhao Xintong faces compatriot Zhang Anda in his opening match on Tuesday, while Wu Yize has already secured his place in the last 16 after a 6-5 victory over Yao Pengcheng. The world champion now meets Dave Gilbert in the second round, following Gilbert's emphatic 6-1 demolition of Ding Junhui in his first match.
Murphy's record-breaking performance
World number six Shaun Murphy has also thrown his hat into the ring for the top ranking after a dominant 6-0 whitewash of Matt Selt in the first round. The Magician set a new record for points without reply, racking up 607 points before Selt managed to score a single point, a remarkable feat that underscores his current form.
With Trump's early exit, the race for the world number one spot has been blown wide open. The coming weeks in Taiyuan and Wuhan will determine whether Trump can cling on or whether a new name will be etched into snooker history.
