Uploaded May 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
Virtually all of snooker's greatest ever players have managed to win at least one World Championship - but there are several legends who somehow never got their hands on the most prestigious trophy of them all.
Whereas the likes of Ronnie O'Sullivan (7), Stephen Hendry (7), Steve Davis (6), Ray Reardon (6), John Higgins (4) and Mark Selby (4) are among the most dominant of former champions, it's certainly not an easy feat to manage once. Just ask Judd Trump, Neil Robertson and Shaun Murphy, to name just three.
You could easily argue that some of the greatest players never to triumph at the Crucible had better overall careers than some of those who did and also possessed more talent and earned more supporters due to the entertainment factor.
In our latest snooker video, we asked Mark Selby, Shaun Murphy, Neil Robertson and Barry Hawkins to name a handful of players who they feel are the best of their generations never to be crowned Crucible king.
(No prizes for guessing Jimmy White is among them!)
Here's the list of world champions in the knockout tournament era so let us know in the comments who you feel are the best players not to appear on it:
Ronnie O'Sullivan - 7
Stephen Hendry - 7
Steve Davis - 6
Ray Reardon - 6
John Higgins - 4
Mark Selby - 4
John Spencer - 3
Mark Williams - 3
Alex Higgins - 2
Cliff Thorburn - 1
Terry Griffiths - 1
Dennis Taylor - 1
Joe Johnson - 1
John Parrott - 1
Ken Doherty - 1
Peter Ebdon - 1
Shaun Murphy - 1
Graeme Dott - 1
Neil Robertson - 1
Stuart Bingham - 1
Judd Trump - 1
Kyren Wilson - 1
00:00 Introduction
00:16 Jimmy White a People's Champion
01:17 Ding Junhui still has time to win it
01:45 Matthew Stevens was a two-time runner-up
02:12 Barry Hawkins yet to win a major title
02:45 Paul Hunter taken from us too soon
Virtually all of snooker's greatest ever players have managed to win at least one World Championship - but there are several legends who somehow never got their hands on the most prestigious trophy of them all.
Whereas the likes of Ronnie O'Sullivan (7), Stephen Hendry (7), Steve Davis (6), Ray Reardon (6), John Higgins (4) and Mark Selby (4) are among the most dominant of former champions, it's certainly not an easy feat to manage once. Just ask Judd Trump, Neil Robertson and Shaun Murphy, to name just three.
You could easily argue that some of the greatest players never to triumph at the Crucible had better overall careers than some of those who did and also possessed more talent and earned more supporters due to the entertainment factor.
In our latest snooker video, we asked Mark Selby, Shaun Murphy, Neil Robertson and Barry Hawkins to name a handful of players who they feel are the best of their generations never to be crowned Crucible king.
(No prizes for guessing Jimmy White is among them!)
Here's the list of world champions in the knockout tournament era so let us know in the comments who you feel are the best players not to appear on it:
Ronnie O'Sullivan - 7
Stephen Hendry - 7
Steve Davis - 6
Ray Reardon - 6
John Higgins - 4
Mark Selby - 4
John Spencer - 3
Mark Williams - 3
Alex Higgins - 2
Cliff Thorburn - 1
Terry Griffiths - 1
Dennis Taylor - 1
Joe Johnson - 1
John Parrott - 1
Ken Doherty - 1
Peter Ebdon - 1
Shaun Murphy - 1
Graeme Dott - 1
Neil Robertson - 1
Stuart Bingham - 1
Judd Trump - 1
Kyren Wilson - 1
00:00 Introduction
00:16 Jimmy White a People's Champion
01:17 Ding Junhui still has time to win it
01:45 Matthew Stevens was a two-time runner-up
02:12 Barry Hawkins yet to win a major title
02:45 Paul Hunter taken from us too soon
