For the past twelve months Kyren Wilson has been riding the crest of the wave. Causing the upset when memorably winning his first World Championship in 2024, the world number two showed that his victory at the Crucible certainly wasn’t a fluke. He followed that memorable victory with a win at the 2024 Northern Irish Open, reaching the final of the 2025 Masters before getting over that defeat with a nerve biting victory at the German Masters.
Clearly now established as the world’s second best player, it could be argued that Wilson has both the form and momentum to make him the favourite heading into this year’s showcase at the Crucible. He will be aiming to become the first World Champion to defend his crown since Mark Selby achieved the feat in 2016/2017.
With the 2025 World Championship just over two months away, Wilson is currently tied for third favouritism and there will be many pundits and bettors who will believe that his current price of 8/1 is a steal.
With superb consistency and shot making, Wilson is here to stay
Despite being crowned as the World Champion in 2024, Kyren Wilson has suffered a similar fate to many others in that his talents on the table can often be overlooked by the flashier players in the game such as Ronnie O’Sullivan and Judd Trump. But after a brilliant twelve months which has seen Wilson climb right to the top of the game, it is clear to see that Wilson is here to stay.
What separates the great players from the good players is their consistency and Wilson has become incredibly hard to beat and consistent with his results.
Since winning in Sheffield back in May 2024, he has won twice and enjoyed several deep runs at other tournaments. Able to deploy a safety game that is right up there amongst the very best, Wilson is also a shot maker and can find the centre of the pockets from almost any area of the table.
Snooker has always been a sport filled with maverick shot makers, but the one area which helps make Wilson different from the rest is the fact that he seems to be switched on between the ears.
Just like other popular individual sports such as golf and tennis, what can often get a snooker player over the line is their mental fortitude and Wilson seems to be one of the best on the World Tour when it comes to his resilience and self confidence.
Seemingly enjoying his time in the spotlight, Wilson has beaten Judd Trump in three of his last four matches against the world number one and rather than be intimidated by what Trump brings to the table, Wilson seems to relish the challenge of putting his game up against one of the game’s very best.
The same can be said when he goes up against snooker’s other great player, Ronnie O’Sullivan with Wilson having won their last five matches.
After having beaten both Trump and O’Sullivan on countless occasions, Wilson will be more than confident that he will be able to do it on the big stage once again and if he goes onto face either man on the Sheffield stage it will be well worth remembering just how effective Wilson is against both men.
As the defending champion, Wilson will head to the Crucible with the pressure off
Having climbed snooker’s Everest and claimed the World Championship, it seems strange to say but Kyren Wilson will head to the 2025 World Championships with the pressure slightly off. Although he will want to defend his crown, others will head to Sheffield with plenty to prove and that could play in his favour.
The current favourite for victory is Judd Trump and after a year where Trump has set records for the amount of prize money that he has won, it will be seen as a major disappointment if the man from Bristol wasn’t able to capture his second world title.
Despite containing all of the talent in the world and being at the very top of the sport for the past few years, Trump and the Crucible have a tricky relationship and that pressure is only set to grow this year. Having won the UK Championship, his bid to win snooker’s famous Triple Crown in the same year was waylaid by Wilson who defeated him in the semifinals of the Masters.
As pointed out earlier, Trump has had a rough time of things when it comes to beating Wilson on the biggest stages and with the lights at their brightest at the Crucible, Wilson will hope to take advantage of any nerves that the world number one is bound to be feeling.
Also ahead of Wilson in the betting is seven time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan. O’Sullivan suffered a tough 2024, struggling for both form and by his own admission his mental health, the Rocket has recently been a shadow of his former self on the table and it has led many to believe that his chances of winning a record eighth World Championship could be beyond him.
Snooker’s ultimate maverick and showman, O’Sullivan has proved on countless occasions that he has the game for the big stages but with him yet to make a professional appearance in 2025, many are wondering if snooker’s greatest ever player will even show up at this year’s World Championships.
Although you can never discount O’Sullivan, he will arrive at this year’s World Championship desperately short of match practice and with him starting to slide down the world rankings, the pressure for O’Sullivan to deliver will be high. Wilson will certainly be looking to cash in.
One other man who will be popular in the betting will be Mark Allen.
Allen has enjoyed a tremendous career which has seen him win numerous titles which includes the Masters but up to this point the World Championship has always proved a bridge too far. Whilst he still has plenty of time on his side, Allen isn’t getting any younger and it could be argued that he is at the peak of his powers. Unlike his rivals at the top of the rankings, he is yet to taste success in snooker’s biggest tournament and that yet again could help Wilson in his quest to become a back to back World Champion.
Jonathan Ashby
Jonathan Ashby, at 35, boasts a deep well of knowledge about the world of snooker. A specialist with a passion for the game's history, techniques, and players, he provides invaluable insights to both novices and seasoned enthusiasts. Through his articles, Jonathan aims to share the rich tapestry and nuances of this beloved cue sport.
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