The 2026 World Snooker Championship begins on April 18 at the Crucible Theatre, with Zhao Xintong returning as the defending champion and top seed. Only the top 16 players in the world advance directly to the last 32, while higher-ranked players enter qualifying at later stages, a format that produced significant upsets this year. Luca Brecel failed to qualify after losing to Jak Jones in the last qualifying round, a match in which Jones made five century breaks of 136, 100, 114, 114, and 132. Ali Carter secured his place by fighting back from 7-5 behind to defeat Anthony McGill 10-7, a victory that means Carter will be playing at the Crucible for a 22nd consecutive year.
Notable among the qualifiers is Liam Highfield, who earned his spot with a 10-2 victory over Oliver Lines. Highfield's return to the World Snooker Tour last year followed a challenging period after he broke his wrist in an e-scooter accident in 2023. Another impressive performance came from Zhang Anda, who dominated his match with five centuries and four half-centuries in a 10-3 win over Zak Surety.
I am more professional nowadays compared to my heyday in the 80s and 90s.
Chinese players have made a historic breakthrough, with 11 securing places in the 32-player main draw at the Crucible, setting a new record for representation from China. This surge includes He Guoqiang, who contributed to the tally by eliminating Jack Lisowski 10-5 in the qualifying rounds.
The qualifying process was filled with dramatic matches. Gary Wilson edged out Xu Si 10-9 after trailing 9-8, sealing the victory with a break of 126 in the deciding frame. Dave Gilbert also advanced with a 10-6 victory over Aaron Hill.
I'm going up there the best prepared I've been for probably 25 years.
Controversy arose during Sam Craigie's 10-9 loss to Umut Dikme, when Craigie was docked a frame for tardiness. In another incident, veteran Jimmy White angrily gestured towards a spectator after missing a shot in his 10-9 first-round qualifying loss to Gao Yang.
High-profile eliminations extended beyond Brecel, with former world champion Stuart Bingham failing to qualify for the second consecutive year after a 10-7 defeat to Matthew Stevens. Veteran Ken Doherty was defeated by amateur Patrick Whelan in the opening round of qualifying, while Graeme Dott lost 10-6 to Si Jiahui and was relegated from the professional tour.
Having my own club has helped me practice more than ever, playing six or seven hours a day.
Frustration boiled over for several eliminated competitors. Stephen Maguire punched the table in frustration after his 10-5 loss to Liam Highfield, while Robert Milkins smashed balls in anger following a 10-3 defeat to Patrick Whelan.
Jimmy White's attempt to qualify for the World Snooker Championship for the first time in 20 years ended in that narrow 10-9 loss to Gao Yang. White last played in the final 32 in 2006, losing in the first round to David Gray, and the 63-year-old, who is a six-time runner-up at the World Snooker Championship, had hoped to break his long absence. His preparation included enlisting his youngest son's help to keep his mobile phone out of reach, a tactic White used to ban himself from using the device to focus on qualifying.
White's dedication was supported by his business ventures, including the Jimmy White Sports Lounge in Woking, which he opened in 2024. Currently ranked 123rd in the world, White was scheduled to face Chinese star Gao Yang in the opening round of qualifying at Sheffield's Institute of Sport on Monday, a match that ultimately ended his campaign. It is worth noting that an editorial error described White as a 'former champion', which is incorrect as he has never won the world title.
The qualifying results signal a changing landscape in professional snooker, with emerging talents from China and elsewhere challenging the established order. As the tournament approaches, questions linger about the specifics of the tardiness penalty for Sam Craigie and the spectator incident involving Jimmy White.