The 2025 Champion of Champions is just a couple of months away with record four-time winner Ronnie O’Sullivan currently set to not feature in the draw.
The prestigious invitational has been a regular fixture on the calendar since 2013 with the lineup comprising most of the previous year’s biggest title winners.
This year’s Champion of Champions will be staged at the Mattioli Arena in Leicester from November 10th to November 16th, and there aren’t many opportunities left to secure an invitation.
Who is in the 2025 Champion of Champions draw?
Although the criteria hasn’t been officially released yet, we can make valid assumptions as to who will definitely be in the 2025 draw based on how it has worked in previous seasons.
Mark Williams will obviously be returning as the reigning champion having got his hands on the trophy for the first time last year by beating Xiao Guodong in the final.
Xiao’s recent successful defence of his Wuhan Open crown will have the 36 year-old from China also in the running again.
A lot of the sport’s biggest names are set to be involved, including world champion Zhao Xintong and UK champion Judd Trump.
Shaun Murphy may have just dropped out of the top 16 for the first time in almost two decades, but the Magician will be in the Champion of Champions as the reigning Masters winner.
Mark Selby and Stephen Maguire will feature courtesy of their respective successes at the invitational and ranking versions of Championship League Snooker – events that are, like the Champion of Champions, promoted by Matchroom Sport.
World numbers two and three Kyren Wilson and Neil Robertson have each won multiple events to qualify, meanwhile.
Wilson’s German Masters, Players Championship, and Shanghai Masters wins ensure that he will attempt to claim a Champion of Champions crown for the first time in his career this year.
Two-time winner Robertson will get an invite through his victories at the World Grand Prix and the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters.
Tournament wins at the World Open and the Tour Championship will also be more than enough to see 2016 winner John Higgins return to the lineup.
Elsewhere, Lei Peifan will be a guaranteed debutant in the 2025 Champion of Champions draw through his surprise success at the Scottish Open.
Who could miss out?
Ronnie O’Sullivan is the highest-profile name who could miss out on a spot in the 2025 Champion of Champions draw.
A winner in 2013, 2014, 2018, and 2022, O’Sullivan hasn’t won silverware on the main tour since his victory at the World Masters of Snooker in early 2024.
In the past, if there weren’t enough champions from the previous year to complete the 16-strong field, top-ups were added from the ranking list.
That would put world number four O’Sullivan in line to secure an invitation as the highest-ranked player who has not already qualified.
However, in addition to the counting events that are left on the calendar to qualify, there are several other winners since last year’s Champion of Champions who would likely be asked to participate before that would happen.
Mark Allen was victorious at the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship in December, while Bai Yulu and Alfie Burden were winners at the Women’s and Seniors World Championships respectively.
Tom Ford also earned his maiden ranking event triumph at the Snooker Shoot Out, and if all of these players were invited it would take the total number of champions to 15.
Other notable names who won’t be in the 2025 Champion of Champions as things stand are Ding Junhui, Barry Hawkins, and Si Jiahui.
What events are left?
There are five ranking events left between now and the Champion of Champions in November.
Even though the qualifying criteria hasn’t been officially announced, there’s no reason to believe that any of these tournaments won’t provide an avenue to compete in Leicester.
The upcoming English Open, which runs from September 11th to 20th in Brentwood, is the next opportunity to qualify but Ronnie O’Sullivan won’t be involved after opting to skip the season’s opening Home Nations Series event.
The British Open will then take place the following week in Cheltenham with the Xi’an Grand Prix (Oct 7-13) and the Northern Ireland Open (Oct 19-26) on the schedule for next month.
The final opportunity will likely be at the International Championship, which runs the week before the Champion of Champions from November 2nd to 9th.
More details and news related to all those tournaments will be provided right here on SnookerHQ.com.
Provisional 2025 Champion of Champions field
*unofficial criteria*
1. Mark Williams – defending champion
2. Zhao Xintong – world champion
3. Judd Trump – UK champion
4. Shaun Murphy – Masters champion
5. Neil Robertson – Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters, World Grand Prix
6. John Higgins – Tour Championship, World Open
7. Mark Selby – Championship League Snooker (I), Welsh Open
8. Stephen Maguire – Championship League Snooker (R)
9. Kyren Wilson – German Masters, Players Championship, Shanghai Masters
10. Lei Peifan – Scottish Open
11. Xiao Guodong – Wuhan Open
Upcoming events
12. English Open
13. British Open
14. Xi’an Grand Prix
15. Northern Ireland Open
16. International Championship
Other champions who could qualify if there are more repeat winners
# Mark Allen – Riyadh Season Snooker Championship
# Bai Yulu – World Women’s Snooker Championship
# Alfie Burden – World Seniors Championship
# Tom Ford – Snooker Shoot Out
Featured photo credit: WST
