The Snooker Triple Crown represents the sport’s highest individual achievement, requiring players to win three prestigious tournaments: the World Championship, UK Championship, and Masters.
Established as snooker’s most exclusive honor, the Triple Crown has been achieved by only 11 players since the modern era began in 1969.
Winning all three events demonstrates exceptional skill, consistency, and mental fortitude across different competitive formats and conditions throughout the snooker season.
This comprehensive guide covers the complete snooker Triple Crown winners list from 1975 through 2026, including players who achieved this elite status and the timeline of their victories in professional snooker history.
Players Who Achieved Snooker’s Triple Crown Status
Eleven players have completed the career Triple Crown as of 2026: Steve Davis, Terry Griffiths, Alex Higgins, Stephen Hendry, John Higgins, Mark Williams, Ronnie O’Sullivan, Neil Robertson, Mark Selby, Shaun Murphy, and Judd Trump.
Each player represents snooker’s elite, having conquered the sport’s three most demanding and prestigious competitions.
Mark Selby stands as one of modern snooker’s greatest Triple Crown winners, becoming the only player to win the World Championship three times while also claiming the UK Championship and Masters multiple occasions.
Selby’s achievement of winning all three titles by 2012 established him among snooker’s all-time greats, with 10 total Triple Crown victories as of 2025.
Ronnie O’Sullivan leads all players with 23 Triple Crown titles, having contested a record 31 finals across the three events. O’Sullivan’s longevity and consistency across three decades of professional snooker competition remain unmatched in championship performance.
Triple Crown Winners Count (As of 2026)
- Ronnie O’Sullivan: 23 titles
- Stephen Hendry: 18 titles
- Steve Davis: 15 titles
- Mark Selby: 10 titles
- John Higgins: 9 titles
- Mark Williams: 8 titles
- Neil Robertson: 6 titles
- Judd Trump: 5 titles
- Alex Higgins: 5 titles (estimated)
- Terry Griffiths: 3 titles
- Shaun Murphy: 3 titles
Historic Triple Crown Achievements in Snooker
Steve Davis became the first player to achieve snooker’s Triple Crown in the modern era, winning the World Championship in 1988.
Davis had previously claimed the UK Championship multiple times during the 1980s and the Masters in 1988, establishing himself as snooker’s dominant force during that competitive era.
Stephen Hendry achieved the Triple Crown in 1989 after winning the Masters, having previously won the World Championship in 1990 and UK Championship in 1989.
Remarkably, Hendry achieved the Triple Crown twice, winning all three events again in the 1995-96 season, a feat no other player has accomplished.
Judd Trump completed the Triple Crown in 2019 when he won the World Snooker Championship, becoming the 11th player to achieve this elite status.
Trump’s Triple Crown victory came after winning the Masters in 2019 and the UK Championship in 2011, cementing his legacy among snooker’s greatest champions.
Recent Triple Crown Achievements: Modern Era Excellence
Mark Selby achieved the Triple Crown status early in his career in 2012 when he became the World Champion, having already won the Masters and UK Championship.
Selby’s dominance continued with multiple wins across all three events, making him snooker’s most successful modern player in achieving Triple Crown status with 10 total victories by 2025.
Shaun Murphy won the 2025 Masters, completing his career Triple Crown achievement after previously winning the World Championship in 2005 and establishing himself among snooker’s elite.
Murphy’s 2025 Masters victory represented the culmination of decades of professional snooker excellence at the highest level.
Kyren Wilson won the World Championship in 2024, claiming his first Triple Crown title after winning the 2026 Masters. Wilson’s achievements demonstrate how modern players continue snooker’s legacy of Triple Crown champions competing at the sport’s highest level of professional snooker.
The Three Prestigious Snooker Tournaments Comprising the Triple Crown
The World Snooker Championship represents snooker’s most important individual event, first played in 1927 and contested annually in modern professional snooker since 1969.
The championship determines snooker’s world number one ranking and provides the sport’s greatest prestige and largest prize money purse.
The UK Championship stands as snooker’s second-most important ranking event, first contested in 1977 as a ranking tournament open to international professionals since 1984.
The event showcases top players competing in a demanding knockout format against elite opponents throughout the professional snooker calendar.
The Masters represents snooker’s most exclusive invitation event, limited to the top 16 players in world rankings competing in knockout format.
The Masters has been held annually since 1975, making it snooker’s most glamorous and prestigious invitational tournament venue alongside the World Championship.
Dominance Patterns: Multiple Wins Across the Triple Crown
Stephen Hendry won the World Championship five times and the Masters six times, but achieved the Triple Crown status twice across his career—once in 1989 and again in 1995-96.
This demonstrates how the Triple Crown requires winning all three events during a player’s career, with Hendry’s remarkable feat of completing it twice showing extraordinary consistency.
Mark Selby won the World Championship four times between 2012 and 2017, the UK Championship three times, and the Masters three times.
Selby’s multiple achievements across all three events made him one of modern snooker’s most dominant players, with his 10 Triple Crown victories placing him fourth on the all-time list behind only O’Sullivan, Hendry, and Davis.
Rare Achievement: Why Only Eleven Players Have Won the Triple Crown
Achieving snooker’s Triple Crown requires winning three of professional snooker’s most competitive and demanding events.
Each tournament demands different playing styles and mental approaches to succeed at the highest level of professional snooker competition across the season.
The World Championship spans 17 days with multiple matches, testing endurance and consistency across extended periods at the Crucible Theatre. The UK Championship requires players to perform consistently through multiple rounds against elite opponents in knockout format.
The Masters features invitation-only format with 16 top-ranked players competing in sudden-death matches with minimal margins for error throughout the tournament week.
Players attempting to win all three events must master different conditions, formats, and psychological demands unique to each championship.
This comprehensive skill requirement explains why fewer than 5 percent of snooker’s elite players have captured the Triple Crown achievement in professional snooker history.
Championship Venues and Evolution of Triple Crown Events
The Masters has relocated multiple times since its inception in 1975, moving from the West Centre Hotel to Alexandra Palace in 2012, where it remains contested annually.
The World Championship moved between venues before settling at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield in 1977, where it remains the sport’s most iconic and consistent venue.
The UK Championship travels to different cities throughout the United Kingdom, including venues in York, London, Preston, and other major snooker centers since its establishment in 1977.
Modern Triple Crown events feature advanced broadcasting, sponsorship, and player facilities reflecting snooker’s evolution into a premium sport with international television audiences watching elite professional snooker competition.
FAQs
What is snooker’s Triple Crown?
Snooker’s Triple Crown represents winning three prestigious tournaments: the World Championship, UK Championship, and Masters, achieved by 11 players in professional snooker history as of 2026.
Which player has won snooker’s Triple Crown most?
Ronnie O’Sullivan leads all players with 23 Triple Crown titles, having contested a record 31 finals across the three events spanning nearly three decades of professional snooker.
When did the first snooker Triple Crown happen?
Steve Davis became the first player to achieve snooker’s Triple Crown in 1988 after winning the World Championship, having previously won the UK Championship and Masters during the 1980s era.
Has anyone won all three events in one season?
Only three players have won all three Triple Crown events in a single season: Steve Davis (1988), Stephen Hendry (1989-90 and 1995-96), with Hendry being the only player to achieve the feat twice in the same season.
Who was the most recent Triple Crown winner?
Kyren Wilson won the 2026 Masters, completing his career Triple Crown after winning the World Championship in 2024, becoming snooker’s 12th player to achieve this elite status.
What year did the Masters snooker begin?
The Masters snooker tournament began in 1975 at the West Centre Hotel in London, becoming one of the three events comprising snooker’s prestigious Triple Crown achievement status in professional snooker.
