Snooker
Clash of Titans: Ronnie O’Sullivan vs John Higgins – A Head-to-Head Statistical Breakdown
When it comes to debating the top five greatest snooker players of all time, almost certainly the vast majority of those you ask will be in mutual agreement that Ronnie O’Sullivan and John Higgins belong inside the top five.
Ronnie O'Sullivan and John Higgins of Scotland in action//Getty Images
Both O’Sullivan and Higgins are two of the iconic trio that turned professional in 1992, alongside three-time world champion Mark Williams. For over three decades, both O’Sullivan and Higgins have occupied the higher echelons of the snooker summit and contested in multiple classics, spanning from World Championship finals to smaller ranking events.
While head-to-head match results tell one story, we compared their overall snooker career statistics that provide a broader view of their respective impacts on the sport. Before the 2025 World Snooker Championship, we have spent time researching a side-by-side statistical comparison of their professional careers based on key metrics.
The Tale of the Tap
Career Statistics Compared
Both players boast truly phenomenal careers, but how do their overall numbers stack up against each other? Here’s a detailed comparison:
| Statistic | O’Sullivan | Higgins |
| Seasons as Professional | 33 | 33 |
| Matches Played | 1,551 | 1,932 |
| Matches Won (%) | 1,155 (74.47%) | 1,341 (69.41%) |
| Matches Lost (%) | 361 (23.28%) | 559 (28.93%) |
| Matches Drawn (%)* | 35 (2.26%) | 32 (1.66%) |
| Frames Played | 13,371 | 14,951 |
| Frames Won (%) | 8,149 (60.95%) | 8,815 (58.96%) |
| Centuries Made | 1,275 | 1,027 |
| Centuries per Match Rate** | 10.49 | 14.56 |
| Maximums Made (147s) | 15 | 12 |
| Deciders Played | 281 | 393 |
| Deciders Won (%) | 173 (61.57%) | 232 (59.03%) |
| Whitewashes Played | 228 | 305 |
| Whitewashes Won (%) | 195 (85.53%) | 246 (80.66%) |
| Career Prize Money (GBP) | 14,625,634 | 10,462,519 |
*Note: Draws occurred primarily in league formats, less common now.
**Note: ‘Centuries per Match Rate’ likely represents ‘Average Frames Played Per Century Made’ (Lower number = more frequent centuries). O’Sullivan: 13371 frames / 1275 centuries = 10.49. Higgins: 14951 frames / 1027 centuries = 14.56.
Analysing the Numbers
Longevity and Experience
The fact that both O’Sullivan and Higgins have played at the highest level of snooker for 33 years is a true testament to their ability, character, and stature within the game. This form of longevity is rare to find in any sport, let alone in a sport where mental toughness is such a crucial component in how the game is played.
Higgins has played a significantly higher number of matches, leading to more frames played, indicating incredible durability and consistency in reaching the latter stages of tournaments over a sustained period.
Winning Efficiency
Despite playing far fewer games, O’Sullivan has a superior win percentage across the board – matches won, frames won, deciders won, and whitewashes won – suggesting a higher conversion rate when playing. Make no mistake, though, having these percentages over 1000 games is incredible, to say the least.
Break Building Prowess
O’Sullivan crafted his 1000th career century break on March 10, 2019, during the final of the Players Championship against Neil Robertson. In the final and winning frame of the match, he famously made history and became the first player to reach four figures, potting the famous ball with his left hand.
Considering this achievement was made over six years ago now, no player came close to eclipsing the threshold until Higgins became the second player to reach it on September 19, 2024, during the English Open.
Both players are extremely talented at break building, further shown by O’Sullivan leading the way with 15 147 breaks to Higgins’ 12. These numbers are simply incredible considering how few 147s have been recorded in snooker history.
Performance Under Pressure
O’Sullivan again has the slightly better win percentage in deciding frames, but this is only marginally. While this shows immense bottle, Higgins is more renowned for his all-round game with his temperament and courage in nervy situations.
Financial Success
O’Sullivan holds a significant advantage over Higgins in this department, but this prize money covers non-ranking tournaments too, which is an area where he has won more trophies and silverware.
Key Statistical Takeaways
It’s evident to see that both O’Sullivan and Higgins have incredible longevity and sustained performance at the highest levels of the years. Both players turned professional in 1992, and both occupying the top six in the world after 33 years tells you all you need to know.
We can share that Higgins is superior in more matches and frames played, but O’Sullivan is the best in all efficiency metrics, including win percentage, frame percentage, century break frequency and regarding accolades and individual excellence.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we’ve seen that these statistics paint a picture of two of snooker’s all-time greats with slightly different statistical profiles. On one hand, you see O’Sullivan come out on top regarding efficiency and headline stats, whereas Higgins is famed for his remarkable consistency for over three decades.
If you ever start a debate about which player is superior, it’s expected that the discussion will go beyond statistics, but these numbers indicate interesting statistics about their legendary careers and three-decade-long rivalry at the top of the snooker summit.
When O’Sullivan and Higgins face off, comparing their historical stats like decider win percentages and century frequency can offer bettors nuanced insights beyond just current form for match betting or specific frame markets.
Henry Cheal is a versatile freelance sports journalist with extensive experience in the industry. Henry writes about football, darts, snooker, the NBA, the NFL and motorsport for multiple websites. He has previously worked at the 2024 World Snooker Championship after earning a degree in Multimedia Sports Journalism from UCFB in 2023.