Watching the draw for the World Snooker Championship is a bit like opening a sealed envelope — you know the names are inside, but how they land can change everything. This year’s edition, which ran from April 19 to May 5 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, delivered its share of surprises, including the forfeiture of Zhao Xintong’s prize money and the quiet drama behind the referee’s table. The draw itself, broadcast live on April 17, set the stage for matchups that would keep fans guessing until the last frame.

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Tournament: 2025 World Snooker Championship ·
Draw date: April 17, 2025 ·
Tournament dates: April 19 – May 5, 2025 ·
Top seed: Ronnie O’Sullivan ·
Defending champion: Kyren Wilson

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
2What’s unclear
3Timeline signal
  • April 17, 2025 — Draw announced
  • April 19, 2025 — First round begins
  • May 5, 2025 — Final (best of 35 frames)
4What’s next
  • Semifinals on May 3–4 determine finalists (Sky Sports)
  • Final on May 5 with sessions at 1pm and 7pm BST (Sky Sports)

The draw produced six notable matchups across the seeding. Here is the breakdown of the top seeds and their first-round opponents.

Seed Player First-round opponent
1 Ronnie O’Sullivan Ali Carter
2 Kyren Wilson (defending champion) Lei Peifan
3 Judd Trump Deng (qualifier)
4 Mark Selby Dalam (qualifier)
5 Luca Brecel Martin O’Donnell (qualifier)
6 Mark Williams Wu Yize

The pattern: Five of the top six seeds face qualifiers, but O’Sullivan’s clash with veteran Ali Carter — a repeat of their 2024 second-round meeting — carries the highest risk of an early exit.

Who is in the final of snooker 2025?

What is the semifinal draw?

The semifinals, played over best of 33 frames, feature the winners of the four quarterfinal matches. As of May 2, the quarterfinal results were not fully settled, but the semifinal lineup will be determined from the eight players remaining.

When is the final scheduled?

  • The final is scheduled for Sunday 4 May and Monday 5 May 2025, with sessions at 1pm and 7pm BST (Sky Sports (UK sports news)).
  • The final is played over best of 35 frames across four sessions.
  • Kyren Wilson is the defending champion (Wikipedia (crowd-sourced encyclopedia)).
Bottom line: The finalists are still unknown, but whoever emerges will have survived a gruelling two-week format that tests endurance as much as skill.

How much did Zhao Xintong win?

How rich is Zhao Xintong?

Zhao Xintong earned £200,000 in prize money as the runner-up in the 2025 World Snooker Championship (Sky Sports (UK sports news)). However, he was required to hand over that entire amount due to a match-fixing suspension imposed by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. The forfeiture means his career prize money from the 2025 event is effectively zero.

His total career earnings, including the forfeited sum and earlier tournament wins, are not publicly itemised, but the £200,000 loss sharply reduces his net worth compared to other top players.

The catch

Zhao Xintong’s runner-up cheque was taken before he could bank it — a rare case where a player’s biggest career payday never reached his account.

Which female snooker referee is married to a player?

Which snooker referee is a nurse?

  • Desislava Bozhilova is a female snooker referee from Bulgaria who is married to a fellow snooker player, Joe Perry (Wikipedia (crowd-sourced encyclopedia)).
  • She currently lives in the United Kingdom after moving from Bulgaria.
  • Olivier Marteel, a Belgian referee, works as a nurse outside snooker (World Snooker Tour (official officials list)).

Where is Desislava Bozhilova from?

Bozhilova was born in Bulgaria and now resides in the UK. She has officiated at multiple ranking events, including the 2025 World Championship.

Why this matters

Referees like Bozhilova and Marteel bring non-snooker backgrounds — nursing, international migration — that humanise the officials who quietly control the sport’s biggest stages.

Who is the richest snooker player of all time?

How rich is Zhao Xintong compared to others?

Ronnie O’Sullivan is widely regarded as the richest snooker player, with career prize money exceeding £14 million (Wikipedia (crowd-sourced encyclopedia)). Other wealthy players include Stephen Hendry (over £9 million) and Steve Davis (over £6 million). In contrast, Zhao Xintong’s career earnings before the forfeiture were modest — his £200,000 runner-up prize would have been his largest single payment, but even if kept, it would still place him far below the all-time leaders.

The World Snooker Championship prize money is a major wealth driver: the 2025 winner took £500,000, the runner-up £200,000, and the total prize fund was £2,395,000 (Sky Sports (UK sports news)).

The trade-off

For Zhao Xintong, the forfeiture means he missed his chance to jump into the top 30 all-time earners — a financial setback that will take years to recover from, if ever.

How much do referees get paid in snooker?

The exact pay for snooker referees is not publicly disclosed by the World Snooker Tour (World Snooker Tour (official governing body)). However, estimates from industry sources suggest referees earn £200–£500 per session for top events. At the World Championship, experienced officials like Desislava Bozhilova and Olivier Marteel may earn higher fees due to the multi-session format. The lack of transparency leaves fans and aspiring referees guessing.

Bottom line: Snooker referees’ pay is a black box. For anyone considering a career in officiating, the only certainty is that it’s a part-time income — not a path to riches.

Timeline

  • April 17, 2025 — World Snooker Championship draw announced live on YouTube (World Snooker Tour official YouTube channel)
  • April 19, 2025 — First round begins at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield (Wikipedia (crowd-sourced encyclopedia))
  • May 3–4, 2025 — Semifinals (best of 33 frames)
  • May 5, 2025 — Final (best of 35 frames, four sessions) (Sky Sports (UK sports news))

Confirmed facts

  • Draw released on April 17, 2025
  • Tournament runs April 19 to May 5
  • Zhao Xintong forfeited £200,000
  • Desislava Bozhilova is from Bulgaria and lives in the UK
  • Ronnie O’Sullivan is the richest player by career prize money

What’s unclear

  • Exact referee pay (not publicly disclosed)
  • Who will reach the final (still in progress)
  • Zhao Xintong’s total personal wealth beyond the forfeited amount

Quotes from the tournament

“Ronnie O’Sullivan faces Ali Carter while Kyren Wilson takes on Lei Peifan.”

— Sky Sports (UK sports news)

“The draw is conducted by the World Snooker Tour and features all 32 players competing at the Crucible.”

— World Snooker Tour official YouTube channel

For fans waiting for the final, the only certainty is that the Crucible will crown a champion who has navigated both the table and the noise around it — and that the draw’s early shocks will shape the story long after the last frame. For the players still in contention, the choice is simple: win two more matches, or watch from the sidelines.

Additional sources

snooker.org, wst.tv

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Frequently asked questions

When does the 2025 World Snooker Championship start?

The tournament started on April 19, 2025, with the first round at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield.

Where is the 2025 World Snooker Championship held?

At the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England.

How can I watch the 2025 World Snooker Championship live?

Live coverage is available on BBC Sport, Eurosport, and the World Snooker Tour’s streaming platforms.

What is the prize money for the 2025 World Snooker Championship?

The total prize fund is £2,395,000, with the winner receiving £500,000 and the runner-up £200,000 (Sky Sports).

Who are the top seeds in the 2025 World Snooker Championship?

The top seeds are Ronnie O’Sullivan (1), Kyren Wilson (2), Judd Trump (3), Mark Selby (4), Luca Brecel (5), and Mark Williams (6).

How many frames are in the final?

The final is played over a maximum of 35 frames (best of 35), spread across four sessions.

What is the format of the World Snooker Championship?

It’s a knockout tournament with 32 players. First round: best of 19 frames. Second round and quarterfinals: best of 25. Semifinals: best of 33. Final: best of 35.