Snooker news - Judd Trump: Breaking my own ranking event record isn’t impossible

The undisputed world champion and world number one has lifted the International Championship, World Open, Northern Ireland Open, German Masters, Players Championship and Gibraltar Open in an astonishing campaign so far that has seen him earn £978,100 in prize money.

He has surpassed fellow icons Ronnie O’Sullivan, Stephen Hendry, Mark Selby and Ding Junhui, who all managed to lift five ranking events in a season at the peak of their powers.

Trump could yet set the bar higher as he will start favourite to win the rescheduled eight-man Tour Championship in Llandudno in July with the World Championship set to take place a month later due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Bristolian believes more records could tumble if the season continues to be expanded with the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters already pencilled in for Riyadh between October 4-10 with a total prize money of £2.5m and a first prize of £500,000.

“It would be very difficult really with the season I’ve had, but it depends really with how many tournaments there are,” said Trump.

“A couple of years ago, there was even more than there is today.

“It’s probably more about the ratio of tournaments I enter. Winning one in every three of four events is an amazing record to go by.”

At the age of 30, Trump has won 17 ranking event titles to sit joint-seventh on the all-time list alongside Mark Selby. O’Sullivan and Hendry top the standings with 36 ranking victories.

Trump stands fourth on the all-time list of century makers having rolled in 712 centuries. Only Ronnie O’Sullivan (1038), John Higgins (778) and Hendry (772) are ahead of him in the all-time list.

He needs seven more centuries from the final two events to overtake Neil Robertson's remarkable haul of 103 from the 2013/2014 season.

“They (records) are important, but they’re not the be all and end all,” Trump told WST.

“Hopefully, over the next couple of seasons I can pick up the pace so at the end of my career I can equal some of the records, but if not just win as many trophies as I possibly can with my talent.”