Luca Brecel Player Profile
Luca Brecel Stats
Date of birth: 8 March, 1995
Nationality: Belgium
First turned professional: 2011
Highest ranking: 2
Ranking titles: 4
Triple Crown titles: 1
Crucible best: champion
Masters appearances: 5
147 breaks: 1
SHQ Stars:
★★★★★
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Summary
Prior to turning professional in 2011, Luca Brecel was already making a big name for himself across Europe.
The Belgian Bullet backed up his victory in the 2009 European Under-19 Championship at the age of 14 with a further standout triumph at the 2010 European Amateur Championship.
Expectations for the teenager were high, and when he became the youngest ever World Snooker Championship qualifier in 2012 at the age of 17 the sky appeared to be the limit.
However, despite experiencing a steady upward trajectory in the world rankings list, Brecel was unable to establish himself as a top contender.
In 2016 he embarked on a run to the final of the German Masters, then a year later he seemingly made his long-awaited breakthrough.
Brecel captured a maiden ranking title with victory in the lucrative China Championship in Guangzhou.
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It helped him break into the top 16 in the world rankings list for the first time and he duly competed in prestigious invitational events such as the Champion of Champions and the Masters.
Consistency was hard to find, though, and after slipping down the rankings list an unexpected resurgence occurred late in 2021.
Brecel’s appearance in the final of the UK Championship was quickly followed by a second ranking success at the Scottish Open, where he beat John Higgins in the final.
The confidence gained from these performances helped Brecel to feature more prominently at the business end of competitions during the 2022/23 campaign.
This newly acquired level of form culminated in a wonderful run to glory at the 2023 World Snooker Championship in Sheffield.
By beating Mark Selby in the final, he became the first Crucible king from mainland Europe and rose to a career-high ranking of number two in the world.
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Ranking Event Victories
- 2017 China Championship
- 2021 Scottish Open
- 2022 Championship League
- 2023 World Snooker Championship
Other Notable Victories
- Championship League (2020)
- World Mixed Doubles (2024)
Featured photo credit: WST
Luca Brecel Player Profile
SHQ Stars: How it works
| Rating | SHQ Stars | Career Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Black | ★★★★★★★ | multiple world champion; 30+ ranking titles; career triple crown; world no.1 (at least 3) |
| Pink | ★★★★★★ | world champion; 10+ ranking titles; multiple winner of triple crown events; member of top 2; 15+ seasons in top 16 (at least 3) |
| Blue | ★★★★★ | winner of triple crown event; 5+ ranking titles; member of top 4; 12+ seasons in top 16 (at least 2) |
| Brown | ★★★★ | 2+ ranking titles; member of top 8; triple crown event finalist; 8+ seasons in the top 16 (at least 2) |
| Green | ★★★ | ranking title; member of top 16 (at least 1) |
| Yellow | ★★ | member of top 64 |
| Red | ★ | professional |
