(Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail)
Neil Robertson Climbs to Third After Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters Victory
August 2025 – Neil Robertson has surged five places to third in the Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings after clinching the biggest prize of his career at the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters.
The Australian snooker star defeated Ronnie O’Sullivan 10-9 in a thrilling final in Jeddah, earning a £500,000 top prize. Robertson’s win sees him jump from eighth to third, a remarkable rise considering he was ranked 27th ahead of the same tournament last year.
O’Sullivan pocketed £200,000 and moves up one spot to fourth. Other notable jumps include Chris Wakelin, who climbs three places to 13th after reaching the semi-finals, and Elliot Slessor, moving from 29th to 23rd. Despite an early exit, world number one Judd Trump still leads second-placed Kyren Wilson by £629,900.
Rising stars also made headlines. Chang Bingyu reached the last 16 of a ranking event for the first time, climbing from 104th to 80th, while Farakh Ajaib, Iulian Boiko, and Steven Hallworth all made strong runs to the last 32, moving up to 76th, 87th, and 88th, respectively.
These updated rankings will determine seeding for upcoming events including the Xi’an Grand Prix and BetVictor Northern Ireland Open, with draws to be announced soon.
Robertson also tops the one-year rankings, ahead of O’Sullivan, Slessor, and Wakelin. This list is crucial for qualification to 2026 Players Series events:
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Top 32 qualify for the World Grand Prix in Hong Kong
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Top 16 advance to the Players Championship in Telford
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Top 12 reach the Tour Championship in Manchester
With seven counting events remaining in the Race to the Johnstone’s Paint Masters, Gary Wilson holds 16th place, with Stuart Bingham, Ali Carter, Jak Jones, and Wu Yize all within £40,000.
The season also features a £100,000 bonus for the first player to reach 100 centuries. Trump achieved this last season, and currently, O’Sullivan and Robertson lead with 11 centuries each, followed by Ali Carter with ten.
