Mark Williams

Mark Williams was born on March 21, 1975, in Cwm, Gwent, Wales. He began playing snooker at an early age, winning his first junior event at eleven and achieving his first century break at thirteen. He turned professional in 1992, making him part of the renowned “Class of ’92” alongside Ronnie O’Sullivan and John Higgins. Williams quickly ascended the ranks, entering the top 16 of the world rankings within three years. His first ranking tournament victory came in 1996 at the Welsh Open, followed by wins at the Grand Prix and British Open, where he defeated Stephen Hendry. He secured his first Masters title in 1998, once again beating Hendry in a memorable black-ball finish.

His career reached a significant peak in the 1999–2000 season, where he won both the UK Championship and his first World Championship in 2000, becoming the first left-handed player to win the World Championship at The Crucible. This success propelled him to the world number one position for the first time. The 2002–03 season marked a historic achievement as Williams won snooker’s Triple Crown—the UK Championship, the Masters, and the World Championship—in a single season, a feat only accomplished by Steve Davis and Stephen Hendry before him. After a period of fluctuating form, Williams experienced a remarkable resurgence in the 2017–18 season, winning the Six-red World Championship, the Northern Ireland Open, and the German Masters. This culminated in his third World Championship title in 2018, where at 43 years old, he became the oldest winner since Ray Reardon in 1978, also setting the record for the longest gap between consecutive world titles.

Williams has maintained a competitive presence at the highest level of snooker, continuing to achieve significant milestones late in his career. In 2025, at the age of 50 years and 206 days, he became the oldest player ever to win a ranking event by defeating Shaun Murphy 10-3 in the final of the Xi’an Grand Prix, surpassing Ray Reardon’s 43-year-old record. This victory also made him the first player to win professional titles in his teens, 20s, 30s, 40s, and 50s. Known for his laid-back demeanor and exceptional long-potting ability, Williams has compiled over 600 century breaks throughout his career and earned over £8 million in prize money. He was inducted into the World Snooker Tour Hall of Fame in 2012, solidifying his status as one of the sport’s all-time greats.