World snooker champion Judd Trump has delivered a startlingly frank admission about his mental state, confessing he feels "edgy" and that his "body wants to shut down" in tense matches, despite successfully defending his UK Championship title into the quarter-finals.
A Champion's Crisis of Confidence
Following a 6-3 second-round victory over Si Jiahui at York's Barbican Centre on Wednesday, the world number one revealed the psychological toll of a string of defeats in deciding frames this season. Trump has lost every single decider he has played in during the 2025/26 campaign, with losses to Gary Wilson, Elliot Slessor, Shaun Murphy, Matthew Stevens, Jack Lisowski, and Zhao Xintong.
"I've lost every single decider I've played in. It's draining my confidence completely when it gets close," Trump told the BBC after his first-round 6-4 win over Stephen Maguire. The 36-year-old admitted that even when leading Si Jiahui 4-3, he felt uneasy, a stark contrast to his previously dominant mindset.
The Search for Winning Form
Trump is attempting to avoid going a full calendar year without a tournament victory for the first time since 2013, with this event being his last chance to lift silverware in 2025. His last title was this very tournament a year ago. "Normally I wouldn't be [pleased just to reach the last eight] but I haven't won a tournament for a year so it's a bit of a different feeling," he explained.
He detailed his current hesitation at the table: "At the start I was confident. After that, just because I've not been winning, rather than thinking, 'oh that's fine I'll clear up next frame,' I've just been a little bit hesitant and looking for trouble a little bit." For Trump, the solution is clear: "It's not so much winning a tournament, it's winning close games."
Glimmers of Hope in York
Despite the mental battle, there were positive signs in his performance against Si Jiahui, including a high break of 117 and a superb 65 clearance to steal the fourth frame on the black. Trump has also reverted to his old cue after an experiment at the season's start and is full of praise for the playing conditions in York.
"I feel good with that cue. I feel confident. The table's playing lovely, it's absolutely perfect," he said, welcoming the testing, tight pockets which demand precision. "They're a real test. When you miss balls, if you're just a tiny bit off they don't go in. That's perfect."
Trump's season has seen near-misses, including finals at the Northern Ireland Open and the Champion of Champions, suggesting he is close to rediscovering his peak form. "I don't feel far off," he stated. "I'm quietly confident, it's been progressing the right way in the last few tournaments, even though I've not been at my best."
He believes the final piece of the puzzle is mental resilience: "I think, if I can just sharpen up under the utmost pressure when things go wrong, I think that's the only difference at the moment." Judd Trump will face either Ding Junhui or Scott Donaldson in the quarter-finals on Friday as he continues his quest to end his title drought and retain the UK Championship.
