Who are the top 10 players who have never won a World Snooker Championship title?
First published way back in 2014, this list of top 10 players who have never won the World Snooker Championship has become an annual tradition.
There have been many great players at the Crucible Theatre who ultimately could never quite manage to become snooker’s ultimate champion…yet, at least.
This list isn’t as easy as simply choosing the player with the most ranking titles or the one with the greatest ability, but it instead attempts to encompass a variety of factors while also accommodating for different eras in a balanced way.
In reality, competitors from decades ago might struggle to feature in the higher echelons of the sport these days, but that’s beside the point as they could only beat, or lose to in this case, the opponents that were in front of them in their given generation.
There will be calls for the inclusion of the likes of Kyren Wilson, Doug Mountjoy, Stephen Lee, and many others, but no new names have managed to break into the list this year.
So who gets the honour, or dishonour if you insist, of placing inside the top 10 list of snooker players who have never won the World Championship?
Top 10 players to never win the World Snooker Championship
10 – James Wattana
The boom in China may never have happened if it wasn’t for James Wattana. Although he hails from Thailand, his success during his first decade on the Main Tour in the early 1990s spread interest across Asia and provided the early signals that snooker could go global.
Wattana won the 1988 World Amateur Championship, and in his next seven years as a pro he featured in eight ranking event finals, winning three of them. His best chance of capturing the holy grail came in 1997 when he was narrowly defeated by Stephen Hendry in the last four.
Wattana’s career fell away badly soon after, coinciding with the turn of the millennium and a wave of fresh talent coming onto the scene. The 53 year-old was still plugging away in more recent times thanks to an invitational tour card, without much success.
Even so, Wattana’s legacy within the sport remains strong, highlighted by the fact that Thai players continue to compete strongly on the Main Tour. In 2023, Noppon Saengkham will feature at the venue stages of the World Snooker Championship.
Crucible record: semi-final – 1993, 1997
9 – Barry Hawkins
Barry Hawkins entered the list a few years ago when he knocked Doug Mountjoy out of the top ten. In 2023, the Hawk stays in ninth place.
It’s amazing to think how far Hawkins’ career has come. The Hawk always had the talent, but he rarely replicated that on the main stage until well into the second half of his career. Indeed, the Englishman lost in the first round at the Crucible in his first five attempts between 2006 and 2010.
However, in 2012 Hawkins took advantage of a weakened field to capture his maiden ranking event title at the Australian Open, thus setting into motion a remarkable transformation in fortune for the now 43 year-old.
In that season’s World Championship, Hawkins produced the snooker of his career to reach the final, where he put up a commendable challenge in defeat to an unstoppable Ronnie O’Sullivan.
Hawkins subsequently reached the semi-finals another four times in five years, proving that his 2013 run was no fluke. Although he has never lifted any of the triple crown trophies, Hawkins became a regular fixture among the higher echelons of the rankings.
Unfortunately, a dip in form this season led to his failure to keep his top 16 place, and defeat in the qualifiers ended an almost two-decade streak of continuous Crucible appearances.
Crucible record: final – 2013; semi-final – 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018
8 – Stephen Maguire
There are many players on this list who could conceivably still etch their name onto the famous World Championship trophy. The third person on here is one such player, albeit time does appear to be running out for the Scot.
Stephen Maguire burst onto the scene in 2004 by winning the European Open before completely dismantling the UK Championship field to collect his one and only Triple Crown title. This led Ronnie O’Sullivan to suggest at the time that Maguire could dominate the sport for the next decade.
Ironically, though, a series of high-profile defeats against the Rocket would set Maguire back and his potential has arguably been unfulfilled. Maguire once claimed that he wanted to win in Sheffield before his 30th birthday. Now aged 42, that date has long since passed for the gritty Glaswegian.
Compared to Hawkins, Maguire has just two semi-final appearances to his name and some may query why he’s higher on the list of snooker players who have never won a World Championship. While Hawkins has arguably punched above his weight, Maguire’s failure to make the most of his ability is what has been so frustrating throughout his career.
His form deteriorating, Maguire lost in the qualifying tournament in 2023 and will not participate at the Crucible for the first time in 20 years.
Crucible record: semi-final – 2007, 2012.
7 – Mark Allen
After Judd Trump’s exit from this list upon his success at the 2019 World Championship, Mark Allen finally entered the fold. Many probably felt that Allen should have already been included even before that, but the Northern Irishman was finally recognised in 2020.
One of the main reasons Allen didn’t make the top 10 sooner was because his overall record at the Crucible is so disappointing. After reaching the quarter-finals three times in his first five starts in Sheffield, the 37 year-old has been back at that stage only once in the last decade.
It’s a poor showing for a player of Allen’s stature, and he’ll be hoping to set the record straight in the tournament this year. Having won the UK Championship during the 2022/23 campaign, he is only a world title shy of completing the career Triple Crown.
The former world amateur champion has been widely tipped as a future Crucible king for years, and after a great season in which he has taken his ranking event tally up to nine, the 2023 edition of the World Championship could be his greatest opportunity yet.
Crucible record: semi-final – 2009
6 – Paul Hunter
We will never know the level of success that Paul Alan Hunter could have enjoyed in this sport, for five days short of his 28th birthday the affable Englishman suffered the final blow following his painful battle with cancer.
Known as the Beckham of the Baize for his striking good looks, boyish charm, and charisma on and off the table, Hunter was a key component in an era largely dominated by the big four – Hendry, O’Sullivan, Higgins, and Williams.
Between 1998 and 2004, Hunter claimed a hat-trick of dramatic Masters crowns, three ranking event titles, and reached the 2003 World Championship semi-final. That he lost that match 17-16 to Ken Doherty having led 15-9 going into the last session seemed largely irrelevant at the time, given his magnanimity in defeat and the seemingly long future he had in the game to redeem himself.
Other lists like this have Hunter higher up – there was a similar column on Eurosport one year in which Desmond Kane placed Hunter in third. For me, that’s too high and romanticises his potential a little bit, as we simply can’t be certain that he would have consistently stayed at the top of the game or not.
However, from the brief spell of snooker we did enjoy from him, it’s obvious that Hunter had something very special about him.
Crucible record: semi-final – 2003
5 – Ali Carter
While Ali Carter has been a great player for many years, some will argue that there are others, such as maybe Allen, Maguire, Hunter, or even Stephen Lee, who deserve to be either on the list or higher up it ahead of the Englishman. That said, it’s difficult to argue with the record of a player who has reached two finals in Sheffield.
Carter’s career is one of highs and lows, both on the baize and away from it. The 43 year-old has been as high as number two in the world rankings, but he probably hasn’t garnered enough silverware to be considered alongside the greats or even nearly-greats.
Nonetheless, if it wasn’t for Ronnie O’Sullivan in 2008 and 2012, Carter could be a one or even two-time champion of the world. The Captain is rarely shy of voicing his opinions and that kind of dogged mentality has served him well in the past.
Many would have felt as though his best years were behind him, but victory in this season’s German Masters has him reinvigorated and he is being hyped as a potential dark horse again in 2023.
Crucible record: final – 2008, 2012; semi-final – 2010
4 – Eddie Charlton
‘Steady Eddie’ is fourth in the list of players who never won a World Snooker Championship. Charlton’s placing causes discussion each year on social media, but his record is undoubtedly enviable and it’s difficult to compare eras.
Charlton’s success mostly came when snooker was just beginning its rise into mainstream media. The game was not open to as many players at that time, and it is questionable how well somebody of Charlton’s ability could have managed in today’s age, against an abundance of formidable foes full of attacking prowess.
Yet, one can only beat who is put in front of them, and Charlton’s consistency in the World Championship speaks for itself. He reached the semi-finals on nine occasions, contesting the final in 1968, 1973, and 1975. While it took 61 frames to decide the latter, when he narrowly lost to Ray Reardon 31-30, the Australian’s greatest success in snooker actually came in the single-frame Pot Black tournament, which he prevailed in three times.
Charlton also has the unique recognition of moving up in the official world rankings list even after he had died, which, you know, deserves a few extra points.
World Championship record: final – 1968, 1973, 1975; semi-final – 1971, 1972, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1982
3 – Matthew Stevens
Some people may forget just how good Matthew Stevens was in the World Championship. The Welshman had, and still has, a wealth of talent but for whatever reason could not translate this into sustained success.
Now 45, Stevens’ best years are probably behind him, but providing some consolation is the fact that two of his biggest victories came in the majors – the 2000 Masters and 2003 UK Championship. That he couldn’t add a World Championship was down to a combination of unusually inspired play from his opponents and his own inability to get the job done.
He came closest in 2000 and 2005 when he held large leads over countryman Mark Williams and qualifier Shaun Murphy respectively, only to surrender on both occasions, 18-16. Stevens possibly still has some time left in his career to make one more big effort, but it seems unlikely at this stage that he’s ever going to escape from this group of bridesmaids.
In 2023, Stevens failed to emerge from the qualifying tournament at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield, losing 10-7 to David Gilbert on Judgement Day.
Crucible record: final – 2000, 2005; semi-final – 2001, 2002, 2004, 2012
2 – Ding Junhui
Ding Junhui stays in second and will probably remain in this position for some time given the erratic nature of his form. With 14 ranking event titles in total as well as a victory in the 2011 Masters, Ding is quite obviously the real deal, and it’s quite amazing that his enormous potential stays unfulfilled.
With the weight of expectation from tens of millions of Chinese fans on his shoulders, Ding’s frequent struggles with pressure have been understandable, but by capturing three trophies in his homeland during the 2013/14 campaign he seemed to have released an aura of invincibility.
A nightmare couple of seasons after that brought reality back into the equation, not least when he was forced to attend Ponds Forge to qualify for the World Championship in 2016 after dropping out of the top 16 in the world rankings.
But qualify with ease he did, duly embarking on his best ever run at the Crucible by reaching the final before being narrowly defeated 18-14 in a wonderful showdown with Mark Selby.
In recent years, the Chinese number one’s main problem has continued to be with consistency, showcased during the 2022/23 season where he has combined success in the Six Red World Championship and a final appearance at the UK Championship with plenty of early exits in ranking events.
At 36, Ding still has some time on his side, and a first-round win over Hossein Vafaei in 2023 could spark another run this year. However, the player at number one on this list will testify that time doesn’t always yield the predicted accolades.
Crucible record: final – 2016; semi-final – 2011, 2017
1 – Jimmy White
There was only ever going to be one name in the top spot, and it baffles me how anybody can have this list finishing in any other fashion. Burdened with being attributed the best player who never won the World Championship is of course Jimmy White, the People’s Champion.
Not many are unaware of the story of the Whirlwind, one of the most popular British sportsmen of all time. White’s career has been a glorious one.
He was the world amateur champion in 1980 before proceeding to collect ten ranking event titles and countless invitationals, including the Masters on home turf in London. However, his legacy will forever be tainted by his record at the Crucible. Six finals, six defeats.
That he put himself into position to contest this many – five in a row between 1990 and 1994 – is testament to how good a player he was, but a mixture of bad fortune and poor preparation led to him never adding the holy grail to his glittering collection of accolades.
Some hurt more than others. He was the favourite to beat John Parrott in 1991 but never recovered from losing the opening seven frames, and the following year he was 14-8 up on regular rival Stephen Hendry, only to lose the next ten frames in a row.
Perhaps most agonising was his last chance in 1994, when on his birthday he missed a routine black off the spot in the decider at 17-17 to allow Hendry, the bane of his career for a fourth time, in for another crushing defeat. White, forever gracious, joked in the immediate aftermath that the Scot was “beginning to annoy me.”
Always adored by his legion of fans, White, approaching 61, still believes in his ability, but he was defeated in the qualifiers again this year and he has failed to make it back to snooker’s mecca in every edition since 2006.
Crucible record: final – 1984, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994; semi-final – 1982, 1987, 1988, 1995
Previous Years
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 |
| 10. Wattana | 10. Hawkins | 10. Hawkins | 10. Hawkins | 10. Hawkins |
| 9. Hawkins | 9. Wattana | 9. Wattana | 9. Maguire | 9. Maguire |
| 8. Allen | 8. Allen | 8. Allen | 8. Wattana | 8. Wattana |
| 7. Maguire | 7. Maguire | 7. Maguire | 7. Hunter | 7. Hunter |
| 6. Hunter | 6. Hunter | 6. Hunter | 6. Carter | 6. Carter |
| 5. Carter | 5. Carter | 5. Carter | 5. Charlton | 5. Trump |
| 4. Charlton | 4. Charlton | 4. Charlton | 4. Trump | 4. Charlton |
| 3. Stevens | 3. Stevens | 3. Stevens | 3. Stevens | 3. Stevens |
| 2. Ding | 2. Ding | 2. Ding | 2. Ding | 2. Ding |
| 1. White | 1. White | 1. White | 1. White | 1. White |
| 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | |
| 10. Mountjoy | 10. Mountjoy | 10. Mountjoy | 10. Mountjoy | |
| 9. Maguire | 9. Maguire | 9. Maguire | 9. Maguire | |
| 8. Wattana | 8. Wattana | 8. Wattana | 8. Wattana | |
| 7. Hunter | 7. Hunter | 7. Trump | 7. Hunter | |
| 6. Carter | 6. Trump | 6. Hunter | 6. Carter | |
| 5. Trump | 5. Carter | 5. Carter | 5. Charlton | |
| 4. Charlton | 4. Charlton | 4. Charlton | 4. Selby | |
| 3. Ding | 3. Ding | 3. Ding | 3. Ding | |
| 2. Stevens | 2. Stevens | 2. Stevens | 2. Stevens | |
| 1. White | 1. White | 1. White | 1. White |
My Top 10:
1. Jimmy White
2. Ding Junhui
3. Matthew Stevens
4. Eddie Charlton
5. Paul Hunter
6. Ali Carter
7. Doug Mountjoy – three triple crown titles and a world final appearance is enough to still warrant inclusion despite the weaker era he competed in.
8. Stephen Maguire
9. Barry Hawkins
10. Mark Allen
Honourable mentions: James Wattana, Alan McManus and Stephen Lee. I left Wattana out as no triple crown title and declined way too soon.
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My Top 10 for 2022:
1. Jimmy White
2. Ding Junhui
3. Matthew Stevens
4. Eddie Charlton
5. Paul Hunter
6. Ali Carter
7. Doug Mountjoy
8. Mark Allen
9. Barry Hawkins
10. Stephen Maguire
Wattana is very much clinging on in your list.
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My top 10 from last year remains unchanged.
I would place Paul Hunter fourth behind 1. Jimmy White, 2. Eddie Charlton and 3. Ding Junhui. I would certainly rate his potential higher than Matthew Stevens and certainly far higher than Ali Carter’s whose very inclusion on this list is rather odd. If losing in the World Championship final and amassing other silverware is criteria, where is Doug Mountjoy? If not completely fulfilling potential despite such early promise is criteria, where is Alan McManus?
With all due respect to the great man, I have always wondered if Ronnie O’Sullivan would have got anywhere near the number of World Championship titles in his era that he has had Paul Hunter lived. He had that very rare quality of playing the game rather than the opponent and their record and reputation.
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