Snooker's world number one, Judd Trump, has made a startling admission about his game following a dramatic and painful exit from the 2026 Masters tournament. The Ace suffered a nail-biting 6-5 defeat to the veteran John Higgins in the semi-finals at Alexandra Palace, a loss he squarely attributes to faltering under pressure.
A Costly Miss and a Pattern of Defeat
The match on Saturday, January 18, 2026, turned on a pivotal moment. Trump, leading 5-3 and with victory in his sights, missed what he described as an "awkward" routine brown when needing to clear the table for a 6-3 win. Higgins, who would go on to book a final spot against Kyren Wilson, was left astonished. "I can’t believe he missed," said the 50-year-old Scot. "Judd just doesn’t do that when he’s clutch and when he’s got to do it under pressure."
Trump, 36, has now not won a tournament since the 2024 UK Championship and revealed a concerning trend this season. He has lost every single match that has gone to a deciding frame. Higgins joins a list of players to have beaten Trump in a final-frame shootout this campaign, including Gary Wilson, Shaun Murphy, and Jack Lisowski.
Trump's Frank Assessment: "My Body Wants to Shut Down"
Speaking candidly to the BBC after the match, Trump did not shy away from the issue. "I just need to improve under pressure a little bit more and then I’ll be able to turn these games around," he stated. "That’s a lot of deciding frame losses this season."
He expanded on a feeling of hesitancy that has plagued him. "I’m a bit edgy, same in a lot of tournaments this year... I don’t quite have that belief at the moment. I’ve just been a little bit hesitant and looking for trouble." In a stark revelation, Trump explained the physical manifestation of his nerves: "At the moment, any time there’s a bit of danger my body wants to shut down."
Higgins Seals "One of My Biggest Ever Wins"
For John Higgins, the victory was particularly sweet given his recent struggles in close matches. After looking "all at sea" and trailing 3-0 early on, he staged a remarkable comeback. This followed a 6-5 quarter-final win over world champion Zhao Xintong.
"It has to go down as one of my biggest ever wins because Judd is such a great champion," Higgins said. "He probably felt the match was easy, at 3-0 perhaps he took his foot off the pedal, and this game never forgives you." The Wizard of Wishaw will now face Kyren Wilson in Sunday's final, after Wilson also won a decider against debutant Wu Yize.
The result leaves the sport's top player with a clear psychological hurdle to overcome. While his talent remains undeniable, Trump's quest to rediscover his "clutch" mentality at the business end of matches has become the defining challenge of his season.
