10th Triple Crown Title Puts Mark Selby Ahead of John Higgins in Snooker History

After years of disappointment on the baize, Mark Selby returned to the Triple Crown winners’ circle, lifting his third UK Championship with a 10-8 victory over world number one Judd Trump at the York Barbican.

Selby stormed out of the blocks, taking an early 5-0 lead and later extending it to 7-2 in a race to 10 frames. 

Trump mounted a resilient comeback to bring it to 9-8, but Selby held firm to claim victory, showcasing why he was the standout performer of the week in York.

This final marked Selby’s first UK Championship final since 2016 and his first Triple Crown title since winning the 2021 World Championship. 

He last appeared in a Triple Crown final at the 2023 World Championship, where he was defeated by Luca Brecel.

A Career on the Line

Selby’s journey back to the top has not been without challenges. 

He openly reflected on the struggles he faced both on and off the table nearly two years ago and admitted that he almost quit snooker entirely.

"Yeah, for sure. I said after the World Championships I was going to have a think about it in the summer."

"I spoke to everyone around me and they were saying, look, maybe if you just have a bit of time off out to season and just play a bit of golf and relax and just switch off from snooker completely and see how you're feeling a few months."

"I did that and I played in the first few I thought, you know what? Just go out there and just see how we get on. I tried to enjoy it a bit more and I did."

"Then obviously my form changed a little bit, which always help you enjoy it if you're playing a bit better. A couple of years on here I am sitting here winning another for Triple Crown.”

Climbing the Triple Crown Rankings

Selby’s victory also cemented his place in snooker history. 

With ten Triple Crown titles, he has overtaken John Higgins, who has nine, placing him fourth on the all-time list behind Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry, and Ronnie O’Sullivan.

"Yeah, incredible. I mean John's [Higgins] like one of the players I've looked up to for years when I was a young lad,” he told SportsBoom.co.uk. 

"He's still capable of winning another Triple Crown himself and wouldn't surprise me if he'd done it this year, he’s that good."

"But yeah, incredible to get in front of him. I get on with John really well, so I can have a bit of banter about that.”

Snooker’s “Mount Rushmore”

With his record now putting him among the top four Triple Crown winners, we asked Selby if he considers himself part of snooker’s elite, akin to the Mount Rushmore.

True to form, Selby remained modest, focusing on future goals rather than past accolades.

“Ronnie, Hendry, Davis. It’s not a bad category to be with, the three all-time greats of the game. It’s sort of a pinch me moment when you look at them players."

"I want to try and win as many as I can. So that's just for other people to say regarding that. I'm not one to sit here and sort of blow my arms bit and say I deserve to be in that category with them. That's really not for me to say."

"When I do finally stop playing and I look back and then you look at the records, you'll probably sit down with your slippers on, having a cup of tea and think, you know what the boy from the council estate in Leicester, literally with no money has done well,” Selby concluded.