Ronnie O’Sullivan has been drawn to face Chinese debutant He Guoqiang as he bids for a record eighth World Snooker Championship title at the Crucible.
He, ranked 47th, secured his place by defeating Jack Lisowski in qualifying and will start his maiden Crucible campaign against seven-time champion O’Sullivan on Tuesday afternoon. The 25-year-old has beaten O’Sullivan in two of their three previous meetings and is one of 11 Chinese players in the field.
Defending champion Zhao Xintong, who became China’s first world champion last year, opens his title defence against Liam Highfield in the tournament’s opening match on Saturday. Four-time winner John Higgins meets two-time runner-up Ali Carter in the first round; should both progress they would meet O’Sullivan in round two. Mark Selby, a four-time champion, plays 2024 finalist Jak Jones. Judd Trump is drawn against Gary Wilson, while three-time champion Mark Williams faces Antoni Kowalski, the first Polish player to qualify for the Crucible.
A high-profile debut is also awaiting 19-year-old Stan Moody, who will make his Crucible bow against 2024 champion Kyren Wilson.
The championship begins this Sunday, with the final scheduled for Sunday, May 3. Since the first round was expanded to 32 players in 1982, there has never been a tournament in which all 16 top seeds reached the second round. Zhao will attempt to overcome the so-called “Crucible Curse” and become the first first-time champion to successfully defend the title; since 1980, 21 first-time winners have failed in their title defences.
O’Sullivan will make a record 34th consecutive Crucible appearance. He was the last first-time champion to reach the semi-finals, doing so in 2002 when he lost 17-13 to Stephen Hendry.
Since 1977 there have been 24 different champions, most recently China’s Zhao Xintong, who lifted the trophy in 2025, becoming the first champion from Asia. Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O’Sullivan share the record with seven titles each.
1977 John Spencer bt Cliff Thorburn 25-21
1978 Ray Reardon bt Perrie Mans 25-18
1979 Terry Griffiths bt Dennis Taylor 24-16
1980 Cliff Thorburn bt Alex Higgins 18-16
1981 Steve Davis bt Doug Mountjoy 18-12
1982 Alex Higgins bt Ray Reardon 18-15
1983 Steve Davis bt Cliff Thorburn 18-6
1984 Steve Davis bt Jimmy White 18-16
1985 Dennis Taylor bt Steve Davis 18-17
1986 Joe Johnson bt Steve Davis 18-12
1987 Steve Davis bt Joe Johnson 18-14
1988 Steve Davis bt Terry Griffiths 18-11
1989 Steve Davis bt John Parrott 18-3
1990 Stephen Hendry bt Jimmy White 18-12
1991 John Parrott bt Jimmy White 18-11
1992 Stephen Hendry bt Jimmy White 18-14
1993 Stephen Hendry bt Jimmy White 18-5
1994 Stephen Hendry bt Jimmy White 18-17
1995 Stephen Hendry bt Nigel Bond 18-9
1996 Stephen Hendry bt Peter Ebdon 18-12
1997 Ken Doherty bt Stephen Hendry 18-12
1998 John Higgins bt Ken Doherty 18-12
1999 Stephen Hendry bt Mark Williams 18-11
2000 Mark Williams bt Matthew Stevens 18-16
2001 Ronnie O’Sullivan bt John Higgins 18-14
2002 Peter Ebdon bt Stephen Hendry 18-17
2003 Mark Williams bt Ken Doherty 18-16
2004 Ronnie O’Sullivan bt Graeme Dott 18-8
2005 Shaun Murphy bt Matthew Stevens 18-16
2006 Graeme Dott bt Peter Ebdon 18-14
2007 John Higgins bt Mark Selby 18-13
2008 Ronnie O’Sullivan bt Ali Carter 18-8
2009 John Higgins bt Shaun Murphy 18-9
2010 Neil Robertson bt Graeme Dott 18-13
2011 John Higgins bt Judd Trump 18-15
2012 Ronnie O’Sullivan bt Ali Carter 18-11
2013 Ronnie O’Sullivan bt Barry Hawkins 18-12
2014 Mark Selby bt Ronnie O’Sullivan 18-14
2015 Stuart Bingham bt Shaun Murphy 18-15
2016 Mark Selby bt Ding Junhui 18-14
2017 Mark Selby bt John Higgins 18-15
2018 Mark Williams bt John Higgins 18-16
2019 Judd Trump bt John Higgins 18-9
2020 Ronnie O‘Sullivan bt Kyren Wilson 18-8
2021 Mark Selby bt Shaun Murphy 18-15
2022 Ronnie O’Sullivan bt Judd Trump 18-13
2023 Luca Brecel bt Mark Selby 18-15
2024 Kyren Wilson bt Jak Jones 18-14
2025 Zhao Xintong bt Mark Williams 18-12