Masters 2026: Kyren Wilson Pushes for Family Support Network and “Cornerman” Role in Snooker

Kyren Wilson and his wife Sophie are collaborating with the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) to create a support network for the families of players on tour. The couple, who have two young sons, aim to have the initiative in place by the start of the World Championship in April.

Wilson, 34, who won the world title in 2024, has previously spoken about struggling "emotionally and mentally" while away from home, especially when Sophie and other family members faced serious health challenges.

The campaign has been largely driven by Sophie, who has opened up about the goals of the initiative following Wilson’s first-round 6-2 win over Si Jiahui earlier this week at the 2026 Masters.

Soft Launch at Alexandra Palace

The Wilsons held the first talks with the World Snooker Tour, sponsors Johnstone Paint, and charity Mind last Saturday at a casual coffee-meeting event at Alexandra Palace, the Masters venue.

“Sophie is at the forefront of it. I’m just following in her footsteps, really. So, I don’t want to take any limelight off of her. She did amazing,” Wilson began. 

"But it’s basically just trying to work with WST, with Johnstone’s Paint, with Mind Charity, about trying to maybe come up with some help for families."

"You know, in snooker, obviously you see the players go out, but there’s no actual support for the families back home. Especially when you’ve got…let’s give Neil Robertson, for instance, from Australia, his family is well back on the other side of the world."

“So, it’s just about trying to create a support network, whether it be a big WhatsApp group, whether it be a big family day out. Just basically a number to call.”

The initial meet-up at Alexandra Palace was considered a “soft launch” for the campaign. The Wilsons hope it can become a fully approved, recurring event on the WST calendar by the time the World Championship arrives in Sheffield this spring.

“That was the first sort of mini stepping stone during the event on Saturday. We’re hoping, fingers crossed, that we can maybe get something up and running a bit clearer by the World Championship. That’s the plan.”

A First of Its Kind in Sport

The initiative would be groundbreaking, bringing together sporting rivals and their families to discuss challenges and receive support collectively.

Wilson believes it could set a precedent for other solo sports.

“I think it would be fantastic to have the World Snooker organisation, along with my wife, to be the first to do it in sport. And then who knows, it could take off from there and maybe somebody could take the blueprint from what they’ve done and take it into another sport," he told SportsBoom.co.uk. 

Addressing Mental Struggles in Snooker

Snooker is mentally unlike any other sport. Even more so than other individual sports, where athletes can immediately respond, like tennis players with a topspin shot or boxers with a punch, snooker players often find themselves in no-man’s land while their opponent is at the table. All they can do is sit and hope for a miss.

To help players cope with this isolation, Wilson has suggested introducing a “cornerman” to offer moral and tactical support, similar to boxing or golf.

“Why can’t we have a corner man that can come to your chair after each frame and just be like, listen, I think you can work on this. How are you feeling? Blah, blah, blah, blah. And I think that could really work in snooker,” Wilson added. 

“Maybe taking a leaf out of the boxing, out of the tennis, out of the golf.”

Wilson believes allowing a technical or mental coach to assist during matches could enhance the sport and make players feel less alone.

"It could be your technical coach or your mind coach. It could be anyone really. But yeah, for me at the moment, it would be someone like my brother,” he concluded.