It would be understandable for snooker legends of yesteryear to be envious of today’s stars, given the increasing riches in the game.
Judd Trump and Kyren Wilson had already pocketed in excess of £1million this season, even before the UK Championship, the first Triple Crown event of 2024/25, began. But Stephen Hendry wouldn’t change a thing about his illustrious career.
The Scottish legend was the sport’s dominant force in the 1990s and remains locked with Ronnie O’Sullivan on seven world titles, with the Rocket looking more unlikely to add a record-breaking eighth as each year passes.
He is delighted for the current crop of top players, who are earning vast sums amid the game’s expansion, especially in the Middle East. Speaking in an interview for Reach’s UK Championship magazine, he says: “The likes of Judd Trump and Kyren Wilson, who have both won over a million pounds this year, how can you argue with the way the tour’s going?
“With the tournaments and the opportunities to be successful, there’s never been anything like it. I wish these tournaments were around in the 90s when I was dominating, it would have been fantastic!
“But I wouldn’t change anything, I had a magnificent career. There are footballers from the 90s who probably wish they were playing now, golfers are the same.
“Snooker is no different. The financial rewards for players in China and Saudi Arabia are incredible but that’s the way of the world now. I wouldn’t change my time for anything.”
Hendry doesn’t believe the game’s expansion should come at all-costs though and would be against the World Championship switching to Saudi Arabia, as has been mooted by World Snooker overlord Barry Hearn.
“I think it’s inevitable that the World Championship will leave the Crucible, reading between the lines,” accepts Hendry.
“I just wouldn’t like to see a World Championship of 17 days with hardly anyone in the crowd watching. OK, the winner might get two million quid but if he’s playing in front of a half-empty audience with no atmosphere… To me, that would be a massive negative.”
Hendry is referring to the sparse crowds at the inaugural Saudi Arabia Masters, which were highlighted in the early days of the tournament. The 55-year-old could have played in that lucrative event himself had he not retired for a second time earlier this year.
Hendry initially retired in 2012, only to make a comeback in 2020 following an invitation from Hearn during a game of golf. Not that Hendry likes the word ‘comeback’. He knew he was never going to get anyway near his previous peak but was still disappointed not to make more of an impact.
“It wasn’t a comeback, it was a wildcard to play in some events,” the BBC pundit points out. “A comeback means you’re trying to be competitive, like you were before. There was no way that was going to happen. I just thought it would be fun to play in some events and see what happened.
“It didn’t work out because I didn’t practice, I didn’t apply myself, so it was no surprise that I hardly won a match.”
Along with his burgeoning media commitments – including the WST podcast, his popular Cue Tips YouTube channel and regular work in China – retirement for a second and final time was a straightforward decision.
“I do a lot of life streaming in China, playing on the internet, and that conflicts with the rules of World Snooker if there’s a tournament going on at the same time,” explains Hendry while in China for a work commitment ahead of the UK Championship.
“With my work over here, my YouTube channel and my media work, playing on the tour was fourth [on his list of priorities], so that was the first one to go.”
On whether he was pleased to have given it another go, he has mixed feelings, adding: “Yes and no. I played terribly. When you’re used to the success I had, to come back and play like I did doesn’t give you much satisfaction.
“It would have been fun to get to the final stages of something. But I wasn’t practising enough so my expectations were very low.”
Meanwhile, Hendry’s great 90s rival Jimmy White is still playing on the tour at the age of 62, while O’Sullivan, Mark Williams and John Higgins are approaching 50 to prove it isn’t just a young man’s game.
On the ‘Whirlwind’, Hendry hails: “It’s incredible. To still have the appetite for the game he has, to want to practice, to want to play in everything, you can only admire it.
“I don’t know how he puts himself through it because he doesn’t win many matches. For me, the enjoyment of snooker was winning. But I admire him, I don’t know how he does it.”
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