Ray Reardon
Judd Trump
Stat by stat
Bars are scaled to the leader in this list.
The verdict
Ray Reardon leads 3 of 4 categories. Our all-time ranking places Ray Reardon at #6 and Judd Trump at #9.
The case for Ray Reardon
The dominant figure of snooker's television revival and the bridge between the amateur game and the professional boom. A former coal miner and policeman, Reardon turned professional in 1967 and won six world titles in nine years (1970, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1978), reaching seven finals in all. He became the first official world number one when the ranking system was introduced in 1976, and his 1978 title made him world champion at 45, the oldest until Ronnie O'Sullivan in 2022. He also won the Masters in 1976, taking his Triple Crown tally to seven. Because ranking events barely existed in his prime — the World Championship was the only one until 1982 — his single ranking title badly understates his record. Nicknamed Dracula for his widow's peak and his habit of finishing opponents off slowly, he later coached O'Sullivan through his 2004 world title.
The case for Judd Trump
The most prolific scorer of the post-Hendry generation and the player who normalised attacking snooker from impossible angles. Trump won the world title in 2019, beating John Higgins 18-9 in a final containing a record seven century breaks from the champion, and reached two other finals, in 2011 and 2022. He has passed 30 ranking titles, a total exceeded by only a handful of players in history, and became the second man after Ronnie O'Sullivan to reach 1,000 career centuries. In 2019-20 he became the second player to make 100 centuries in a single season. His Triple Crown haul includes the 2011 UK Championship and the Masters in 2019 and 2023. Trump's signature is shot selection that other professionals would refuse: pots from the cushion, deep screw shots across the table, and a willingness to attack from safety positions, married to a positional game that has grown steadily more disciplined.