Is called Jack Lisowskiis thirty-four years old and, until this Sunday night, was considered by many the best player in the history of snooker… among those who had never won a title. Of course, not for lack of opportunities, because the English player He had lost no less than ten professional finals: six ranking (countable for the world ranking), two minor-ranking (on a lower scale) and two not countable for the ranking.
But that label It will no longer be applicable to Lisowski: as of this Sunday he is another champion in the history of his discipline. Specifically, of Northern Ireland Open 2025 to become the seventy-ninth ranking winner of this type of billiards where technique is as important as the head. This, precisely, had been the weak point of a Lisowski on the verge of glory on numerous occasions, but with many problems performing in the finals and being able to get through them.
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Four years had passed since his last ranking final, against his good friend Judd Trump, who had won the last three he had played (World Grand Prix 2020, German Masters 2021 and Gibraltar Open 2021). Since then, Jack had gone through a crisis of results that had taken him away from the place to which he always seemed predestined due to resources.: a space among the best. But this is already a reality: Lisowski was proclaimed champion this Sunday after a tough road in Belfast in which he beat Haris Tahir (4-0) and very tough rivals such as Mark Selby (4-2), Thepchaiya Un-Nooh (4-2), Kyren Wilson (5-3), Zhou Yuelong (6-1) and Judd Trump (9-8).
Lisowski was always a precocious talent. He started playing snooker at the age of seven and, at the age of ten, he was already capable of scoring hundreds. He stood out in several age-specific tournaments in the United Kingdom, the birthplace of the sport. His progression seemed meteoric. But, when everything indicated that his settlement in the circuit would be forged sooner rather than laterat the age of sixteen at the time, one of those matches came that show that life is not about winning by putting balls on the table: Hodgkin’s lymphoma was detected.
“You are sixteen years old and have your whole life ahead of you, but suddenly you start to fear for her. I felt very bad, thinking negative things, thinking that it was over“Lisowski told a few months ago in ‘The Sun’. He overcame his illness after several months of treatment and was able to pursue his dream of becoming a professional player again. Everything was starting again.
A professional with continuous defeats in finals
After several attempts, This became a reality for him in 2010.in which he was proclaimed amateur champion of England and in which he entered the professional circuit. At nineteen years old, Jack Lisowski had taken the first big step towards his dreams. I had done it with a brazen, attacking style, with a powerful arm capable of scoring from any point on the table. With the need to polish his game, especially at a defensive level, he was already showing ways. Jack Lisowski was chosen as the best rookie of the 2010-2011 season, since He has already played (and lost) his first professional final: a ‘lower-ranked’ Players Tour Championship tournament (one step lower in category than the ranking tournaments).
The level was there, although settling into the circuit is not an easy task. In five seasons, Lisowski achieved the best result another lost ‘lowest ranking’ final in another event at the Players Tour Championship in 2012 and a quarter-final at the China Open in 2013. Of course, he left signs of his quality by reaching his first World Championship: he debuted at the Crucible Theatre, the promised land of snooker, that same year, at just twenty-two.
As Jack established himself on the front line, he also strengthened it a deep friendship with the considered the best player of his generation, Judd Trumpthe current number one in the world, his great companion in the training stage. On a professional level, Trump was beginning to fly, but Lisowski was not quite taking off. Despite this, he did make steps forward: in the 2017-2018 season Lisowski reached his first semifinals (Shanghai Masters, not ranking) and won his first match in a World Championship.
Expectations were growing for 2018-2019, but this was also the point of creation of one of the biggest curses in snooker history: Lisowski reached his first three top-level finals… but lost all threein the Riga Masters and in the China Open against Neil Robertson and in the Championship League against Martin Gould.
The step forward was evident, but it was zero out of three in finals for Lisowski. He also missed the fourth, that of the Scottish Open of the 2019-2020 season against Mark Selby. Although It was especially the fifth that triggered the jinx: He lost the 2020 World Grand Prix against his great friend Judd Trump, who also beat him in the 2021 German Masters and the 2021 Gibraltar Open. Jack always seemed in Judd’s shadow. In total with those played on a smaller scale, zero out of nine in finals for him.
From the hardest moment to the long-awaited success
Lisowski had to change something. He hired as coach at the end of that year Peter Ebdonworld champion in 2002 and considered one of the best players in history. His influence on this game, however, has gone even further as a coach in recent times, with great reputation and advice to several players, including Jack.
English faced a challenge: Snooker is a game in which there are matches that can be won by attacking, but in which it is impossible to win a tournament if you do not shine defending.. That shameless player who threw every attack ball within his reach had to modulate his way of playing to give himself more resources, a slow process. In these times of change and adaptation, Lisowski lost his tenth final of ten as a professional (Macao Masters 2023, an exhibition event but with juicy financial prizes).
But effective, because Jack was already seen on big dates: Semi-finals were on the rise and included some in the 2022 UK Championship and others in the 2023 Masters, two of snooker’s ‘Triple Crown’ tournaments. Everything seemed ready for the big leap to arrive, but it resisted. Irregularity marked Lisowski again since that month of January 2023: until this past week he had barely made a semi-final appearance since then.
For much of this period, however, there was an explanation for it. Once again, life asked to leave the snooker table. Last March, Jack Lisowski’s father passed away suddenlyanother complicated situation for a player accustomed to getting up again and again when hit. There are some who never quite overcome themselves, but every struggle ends up having its reward.
If not, tell Jack Lisowski, one of the most beloved players on the circuit by his teammates and the public. After a few difficult months, This Sunday he left behind all his sporting ghosts with his first major title as a professional, a Northern Ireland Open decided in dramatic fashion. Before his friend Judd Trumpwho had so many times closed the doors of glory to him. He won it with a ‘thriller’ (9-8) in the ‘decider’ or tiebreaker frame, with two match attacks wasted by Jack and not taken advantage of by Judd. The third time was the eternal winner.
It was one of those moments in which it was demonstrated that friendship will always come before any other situation. “I’m very happy for Jack. I’m much happier than if he had won.”because I have given everything. But I missed some shots and Jack deserved this victory. “There is no one happier for him than me,” he said. Judd Trump after the meeting. “Judd has been my best friend since I was fourteen. I remember when we were together in a restaurant in Hong Kong and I received a text message announcing the death of my father. He has been the best friend I could have had in these eight months. He is already one of the best players in history, but above all he is the closest I have ever been to having a brother“, corresponded Lisowski.
The wait had been worth it to triumph with his eternal companion present. Lisowski was crowned after a crazy week in which he left behind no less than three world champions on their way to the title (Mark Selby, Kyren Wilson and Trump himself). After so many occasions at the gates of glory, the emotional hug was given this time by Trump to his bosom friend, the one who had made his great dream come true: After a life of struggle and many personal and sporting setbacks, Jack Lisowski is finally a professional snooker champion. Because work, effort and improvement always have their reward. Because no curse lasts forever.
Champions of the 2025-2026 snooker season
1. Championship League (ranking): Stephen Maguire
2. Shanghai Masters (no de ranking): Kyren Wilson
3. Saudi Arabia Masters (ranking): Neil Robertson
4. Open de Wuhan (ranking): Xiao Guodong
5. Open the Inglaterra (ranking): Mark Allen
6. British Open (ranking): Shaun Murphy
7. Xi’an Grand Prix (ranking): Mark Williams
8. Open de Irlanda del Norte (ranking): Jack Lisowski