This page lists the snooker players who have held the official world number one ranking. Only confirmed periods at the top of the official world rankings are included.
Official world no.1 players
| No. | Player | Country | Start date | End date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ray Reardon | Wales | 3 May 1975 | 20 April 1981 |
| 2 | Cliff Thorburn | Canada | 21 April 1981 | 16 May 1982 |
| Ray Reardon | Wales | 17 May 1982 | 2 May 1983 | |
| 3 | Steve Davis | England | 3 May 1983 | 29 April 1990 |
| 4 | Stephen Hendry | Scotland | 30 April 1990 | 4 May 1998 |
| 5 | John Higgins | Scotland | 5 May 1998 | 1 May 2000 |
| 6 | Mark Williams | Wales | 2 May 2000 | 6 May 2002 |
| 7 | Ronnie O'Sullivan | England | 7 May 2002 | 5 May 2003 |
| Mark Williams | Wales | 6 May 2003 | 3 May 2004 | |
| Ronnie O'Sullivan | England | 4 May 2004 | 1 May 2006 | |
| Stephen Hendry | Scotland | 2 May 2006 | 7 May 2007 | |
| John Higgins | Scotland | 8 May 2007 | 5 May 2008 | |
| Ronnie O'Sullivan | England | 6 May 2008 | 3 May 2010 | |
| John Higgins | Scotland | 4 May 2010 | 26 September 2010 | |
| 8 | Neil Robertson | Australia | 27 September 2010 | 12 December 2010 |
| John Higgins | Scotland | 13 December 2010 | 2 May 2011 | |
| Mark Williams | Wales | 3 May 2011 | 11 September 2011 | |
| 9 | Mark Selby | England | 12 September 2011 | 4 November 2012 |
| 10 | Judd Trump | England | 5 November 2012 | 9 December 2012 |
| Mark Selby | England | 10 December 2012 | 17 February 2013 | |
| Judd Trump | England | 18 February 2013 | 31 March 2013 | |
| Mark Selby | England | 1 April 2013 | 9 June 2013 | |
| Neil Robertson | Australia | 10 June 2013 | 5 May 2014 | |
| Mark Selby | England | 6 May 2014 | 6 July 2014 | |
| Neil Robertson | Australia | 7 July 2014 | 10 August 2014 | |
| Mark Selby | England | 11 August 2014 | 7 December 2014 | |
| 11 | Ding Junhui | China | 8 December 2014 | 14 December 2014 |
| Neil Robertson | Australia | 15 December 2014 | 25 January 2015 | |
| Ding Junhui | China | 26 January 2015 | 8 February 2015 | |
| Mark Selby | England | 9 February 2015 | 24 March 2019 | |
| Ronnie O'Sullivan | England | 25 March 2019 | 11 August 2019 | |
| Judd Trump | England | 12 August 2019 | 22 August 2021 | |
| Mark Selby | England | 23 August 2021 | 17 October 2021 | |
| Judd Trump | England | 18 October 2021 | 7 November 2021 | |
| Mark Selby | England | 8 November 2021 | 3 April 2022 | |
| Ronnie O'Sullivan | England | 4 April 2022 | 6 May 2024 | |
| 12 | Mark Allen | Northern Ireland | 7 May 2024 | 25 August 2024 |
| Judd Trump | England | 26 August 2024 | Present |
Methodology
- Official world rankings only
- Dates reflect confirmed periods as world number one
- Interim or unofficial rankings are excluded
Last updated: January, 2026