The 2025 English Open commences on Thursday with the likes of reigning champion Neil Robertson and world champion Zhao Xintong in the draw.
The lineup this year also includes world number one Judd Trump, Shanghai Masters winner Kyren Wilson, and the majority of the other heavy hitters on the World Snooker Tour.
It’s the fourth ranking tournament of the 2025/26 campaign and marks the first of the four Home Nations Series events to be played.
A top prize worth £100,000 is on offer next week, but there is also the additional £150,000 jackpot for being this term’s best Home Nations performer overall to strive for.
English Open prize money
Champion: £100,000
Runner-up: £45,000
Semi-final: £21,000
Quarter-final: £13,200
Last 16: £9,000
Last 32: £5,400
Last 64: £3,600
Last 96: £1,000
Highest Break: £5,000
Total: £550,400
Who are the former champions?
The English Open was launched in 2016 as part of the Home Nations Series, so it’s incredible to think that this is already its tenth edition.
The inaugural winner was Liang Wenbo, whose career of course ended in disgrace after being handed a lifetime ban from the sport for his leading involvement in a match-fixing ring.
The following year’s title was won by Ronnie O’Sullivan, but the Rocket won’t be in this year’s field either after opting to skip proceedings at the Brentwood Centre.
All the other former winners of the Steve Davis Trophy are involved in the 2025 English Open draw, however.
That includes reigning champion Neil Robertson in addition to fellow two-time winners Judd Trump and Mark Selby.
Indeed, that trio has accounted for the last six English Open crowns between them from 2019 until last year, with the 2018 title going to Stuart Bingham.
How does the 2025 English Open draw work?
The top 32 seeds in the competition enter the fray in the round of 64, with another 32 spots up for grabs through the preliminary rounds.
The bottom 64 seeds – including the likes of Jimmy White, Marco Fu, and Reanne Evans – launch the event on Thursday in the opening round.
Those ranked from 33 to 64 subsequently join the action in round two across this weekend before the bigger names get involved on Monday.
In addition to O’Sullivan, John Higgins is another notable absentee from the 2025 English Open draw.
The Scot recently admitted that he was struggling for motivation this season so far and had planned to take a break ahead of bigger tournaments to come later in the year.
Yet most of the other marquee names are hoping to challenge, including the likes of Mark Williams, recent Wuhan Open champion Xiao Guodong, and Ding Junhui.
For the latter, the English Open represents one of the Chinese competitor’s few remaining opportunities to seal a spot at the upcoming Champion of Champions invitational.
2025 English Open Draw
Round of 128 (bo7)
Sunny Akani vs Oliver Brown
Zhao Hanyang vs Connor Benzey
Haris Tahir vs Michal Szubarczyk
Julien Leclercq vs Aidan Murphy
Farakh Ajaib vs Kreishh Gurbaxani
Chris Totten vs Ross Muir
Antoni Kowalski vs Liam Graham
Liam Highfield vs Ng On Yee
Amir Sarkhosh vs Sahil Nayyar
David Grace vs Jonas Luz
Louis Heathcote vs Mahmoud El Hareedy
Duane Jones vs Patrick Whelan
Cheung Ka Wai vs Jimmy White
Sam Craigie vs Chatchapong Nasa
Reanne Evans vs Jiang Jun
Huang Jiahao vs Oliver Sykes
Robbie McGuigan vs Mink Nutcharut
Bulcsu Revesz vs Alexander Ursenbacher
Mitchell Mann vs Ian Burns
Wang Yuchen vs Florian Nuessle
Dylan Emery vs Fergal Quinn
Allan Taylor vs Umut Dikme
Liam Davies vs Hatem Yassen
Lan Yuhao vs Liam Pullen
Chang Bingyu vs Leone Crowley
Bai Yulu vs Liu Wenwei
Steven Hallworth vs Mateusz Baranowski
Iulian Boiko vs Xu Yichen
Artemijs Zizins vs Yao Pengcheng
Marco Fu vs Gao Yang
Haydon Pinhey vs Ryan Davies
Ben Mertens vs Ashley Hugill
Round of 96 (bo7)
1. David Lilley vs Akani/Brown
2. Noppon Saengkham vs Zhao/Benzey
3. Zak Surety vs Tahir/Szubarczyk
4. Fan Zhengyi vs Leclercq/A. Murphy
5. He Guoqiang vs Ajaib/Gurbaxani
6. Robert Milkins vs Totten/Muir
7. Ryan Day vs Kowalski/Graham
8. Oliver Lines vs Highfield/Ng
9. Long Zehuang vs Sarkhosh/Nayyar
10. Xu Si vs Grace/Luz
11. Jordan Brown vs Heathcote/El Hareedy
12. Martin O’Donnell vs D. Jones/Whelan
13. Luca Brecel vs Cheung/White
14. Liu Hongyu vs Sam Craigie/Nasa
15. Daniel Wells vs Evans/Jiang
16. Robbie Williams vs Huang/Sykes
17. Michael Holt vs McGuigan/Nutcharut
18. Ben Woollaston vs Revesz/Ursenbacher
19. Sanderson Lam vs Mann/Burns
20. Jimmy Robertson vs Wang/Nuessle
21. Matthew Stevens vs Emery/Quinn
22. Scott Donaldson vs Taylor/Dikme
23. Lyu Haotian vs Davies/Yassen
24. Stan Moody vs Lan/Pullen
25. Gong Chenzhi vs Chang/Crowley
26. Ricky Walden vs Bai/Liu
27. Anthony McGill vs Hallworth/Baranowski
28. Jamie Jones vs Boiko/Xu
29. Aaron Hill vs Zizins/Yao
30. Mark Davis vs Fu/Gao
31. Thepchaiya Un-Nooh vs Pinhey/Davies
32. Ishpreet Singh Chadha vs Mertens/Hugill
Round of 64 (bo7)
Neil Robertson vs Winner of Match 1 (above)
Jackson Page vs Winner of Match 2
Shaun Murphy vs Winner of Match 3
David Gilbert vs Winner of Match 4
Wu Yize vs Winner of Match 5
Chris Wakelin vs Winner of Match 6
Lei Peifan vs Winner of Match 7
Mark Selby vs Winner of Match 8
Mark Williams vs Winner of Match 9
Zhou Yuelong vs Winner of Match 10
Barry Hawkins vs Winner of Match 11
Tom Ford vs Winner of Match 12
Hossein Vafaei vs Winner of Match 13
Si Jiahui vs Winner of Match 14
Pang Junxu vs Winner of Match 15
Kyren Wilson vs Winner of Match 16
Judd Trump vs Winner of Match 17
Yuan Sijun vs Winner of Match 18
Gary Wilson vs Winner of Match 19
Elliot Slessor vs Winner of Match 20
Stuart Bingham vs Winner of Match 21
Mark Allen vs Winner of Match 22
Matthew Selt vs Winner of Match 23
Ding Junhui vs Winner of Match 24
Xiao Guodong vs Winner of Match 25
Joe O’Connor vs Winner of Match 26
Zhang Anda vs Winner of Match 27
Jak Jones vs Winner of Match 28
Stephen Maguire vs Winner of Match 29
Ali Carter vs Winner of Match 30
Jack Lisowski vs Winner of Match 31
Zhao Xintong vs Winner of Match 32
Click here for the updated results and draw (snooker.org)
How to watch the 2025 English Open
There are several options available to watch the upcoming snooker live, depending on your location.
Below is a full list, as published on the World Snooker Tour website:
Rounds 1 and 2
(September 11th to 14th)
UK and Mainland Europe
discovery+ in the UK, Germany, Italy, and Austria
HBO Max in all other markets
China
Huya.com
Migu
CBSA-WPBSA Academy WeChat Channel
CBSA-WPBSA Academy Douyin
All other territories
WST Play
All Other Rounds
(September 15th to 21st)
UK & Ireland
TNT Sports and discovery+
DMAX (Freeview channel showing weekday afternoon sessions and all weekend sessions)
Mainland Europe
Eurosport and locally relevant streaming platforms
(discovery+ in Germany, Italy and Austria and HBO Max in all other markets)
China
Huya.com
Migu
CBSA-WPBSA Academy WeChat Channel
CBSA-WPBSA Academy Douyin
Hong Kong China
Now TV
Malasyia & Brunei
Astro Supersport
Taiwan
Sportcast
Thailand
True Sport
Philippines
TAP Sports
All other territories
WST Play
Featured photo credit: WST
