The ranking events are coming thick and fast again with the World Grand Prix next up on the agenda for the 2025/26 snooker season.
The World Grand Prix returns to the Kai Tak Arena in Hong Kong for the second year in a row, marking the first of this campaign’s three tournaments from the Players Series.
The top 32 players from the one-year rankings list will be in action as they chase the season’s 13th ranking crown and a top prize worth £180,000.
2026 World Grand Prix prize money
Champion: £180,000
Runner-up: £80,00
Semi-final: £35,000
Quarter-final: £20,000
Last 16: £15,000
Last 32: £10,000
Highest Break: £10,000
Total: £700,000
When is the 2026 World Grand Prix?
The 2026 World Grand Prix commences on Tuesday, February 3rd with the final to be played over 19 frames on Sunday, February 8th.
Who are the former champions?
Neil Robertson is the defending World Grand Prix champion, the Thunder from Down Under emerging triumphantly a year ago with a resounding 10-0 hammering of Stuart Bingham in the final.
The tournament was initially introduced onto the calendar in 2015 as a non-ranking event, with Judd Trump beating Ronnie O’Sullivan in the final.
With qualification based on the one-year rankings, the tournament transitioned to full ranking status a year later.
Trump and O’Sullivan have both been successful on three occasions, with Robertson taking glory twice and victories in other years for Shaun Murphy, Barry Hawkins, and Mark Allen.
All six former champions are in the 2026 World Grand Prix draw and last week’s German Masters champion Trump is the outright favourite again with odds of 11/4.
The World Grand Prix represents the last opportunity to secure qualification for the Players Championship, where the top 16 from the one-year list gain entry.
How does the format work?
The Scottish Open in December represented the last opportunity to gain ranking points and secure a top 32 spot from the one-year rankings list.
The format for the draw is very simple, with the top seed taking on the 32nd seed, the second facing the 31st, and so on.
Robertson is the defending champion but also the number one seed having accumulated the most ranking points of anyone during the 2025/26 term so far.
The Australian encounters Jak Jones in the first round, the Welshman qualifying for the tournament by a margin of £4,600 from Noppon Saengkham, who just missed out.
Other interesting first-round fixtures include a humdinger between John Higgins and Zhao Xintong, Ding Junhui’s tie against 2017 champion Hawkins, and Kyren Wilson’s encounter with Xiao Guodong.
World number one Trump begins his week against Yuan Sijun with fellow three-time winner O’Sullivan up against Joe O’Connor.
Murphy, who lost the German Masters final in Berlin on Sunday, will look to immediately bounce back when he plays Pang Junxu.
The first three rounds are the best of nine frames, then the semi-finals are the best of 11 before the final increases to the best of 19 frames. The full first round draw is below.
2026 World Grand Prix Draw
Round of 32 (bo9)
Neil Robertson (1) vs Jak Jones (32)
Zhou Yuelong (16) vs Stephen Maguire (17)
Mark Allen (9) vs Ali Carter (24)
Judd Trump (8) vs Yuan Sijun (25)
Wu Yize (5) vs Anthony McGill (28)
Jack Lisowski (12) vs Chang Bingyu (21)
Barry Hawkins (13) vs Ding Junhui (20)
Mark Williams (4) vs Zhang Anda (29)
Shaun Murphy (3) vs Pang Junxu (30)
Gary Wilson (14) vs Si Jiahui (19)
Xiao Guodong (11) vs Kyren Wilson (22)
Ronnie O’Sullivan (6) vs Joe O’Connor (27)
Chris Wakelin (7) vs Thepchaiya Un-Nooh (26)
Elliot Slessor (10) vs Stuart Bingham (23)
John Higgins (15) vs Zhao Xintong (18)
Mark Selby (2) vs Aaron Hill (31)
How to watch the 2026 World Grand Prix
There are several options available to watch the upcoming snooker live, depending on your location.
Many of the popular betting sites provide live streaming of snooker events through signing up on their websites or apps. For viewers in the United States, options vary by state – those exploring the Sunshine State wagering landscape will find several platforms offering both streaming and betting markets for international snooker events.
Below is a full list of official options, as published on the World Snooker Tour website:
UK & Ireland: TNT Sports, discovery+
Mainland Europe: Eurosport; discovery+ (Germany, Italy, Austria); HBO Max (all other markets)
China: Huya.com, Migu, CBSA-WPBSA Academy (WeChat & Douyin)
Hong Kong China: Now TV
Malaysia & Brunei: Astro Supersport
Taiwan: Sportcast
Thailand: True Sport
Philippines: TAP Sports
All Other Territories: WST Play
Featured photo credit: WST
In the first round 10 Chinese beat 9 English Best. Judd Trump(1) lost to Sijun(31), Kyren Wislon(2) lost to Guodong(10), Williams(4) lost to Anda(23), Higgins(5) lost to Xintong(10), Murphy(7) lost to Junxu(27), Gary Wison(18) lost to Si Jianhu,Lisowski(22) lost to Bingyu, Maguire(26) lost to Yuelong(52) and Mcgill(46) lost to Wu Yize(13). Only Hawkins(14) beat Ding Yunhui. Even Aussie Neil Robertson(3) lost to Jak Jones (19). Mark Allen(9) lost to Ali Carter(20). In conclusion rank 1,2,3,4,5,7,9 all lost. Only Allen and Guodong won their first match. Paradise for punters and the Hong Kong Tourism Board and Hong Kong Major Sports Committee.