Notable players

Ronnie O’Sullivan has won the most world titles in the 21st century (in 2001, 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2013).

In the professional era that began with Joe Davis in the 1930s and continues up until the present day, a relatively small number of players have succeeded at the top level. Reaching and maintaining a place amongst the snooker elite is a tough task, with the standards of the game being such that it requires many years of dedication and effort as well as natural ability.
Certain players have tended to dominate the sport through the decades. John Pulman is generally regarded as the principal player through the 1960s, Ray Reardon through the 1970s, Steve Davis through the 1980s and Stephen Hendry through the 1990s. Reardon won 6 (1970, 1973–1976 and 1978), Davis also 6 (1981, 1983, 1984 and 1987–1989) and Hendry 7 (1990, 1992–1996 and 1999) World Championships. Ronnie O'Sullivan dominates in the modern era, Ronnie O'Sullivan won the title on Five occasions during current period (2001, 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2013). Mark Williams and John Higgins won twice (2000, 2003 and 2007, 2009 respectively). Higgins has four world titles in total, having also won in 1998 and 2011, while O'Sullivan has five having added further titles in 2012 and 2013. By retaining his title in 2013, O'Sullivan became the first player to successfully defend the World Championship since 1996 when Hendry won the sixth of his seven titles, his fifth in a row.