Snooker news: Judd Trump says he's now homeless as star opens up on 'torturous' period
Snooker star Judd Trump has opened up about a difficult past few weeks.
Judd Trump and Ronnie O’Sullivan have shed light on their recent struggles, stemming from completely different reasons. Snooker’s greatest players have been in action this week at the World Open in Yushan, China.
The tournament got underway on Monday and has provided some extraordinary moments already. Hoping to secure his place in Sunday’s final, O’Sullivan is through to the semi-finals following a win on Friday morning which built on his impressive form. Trump, meanwhile, still has to take on Hossein Vafaei in his quarter-final showdown, which begins at 11.30am on Friday. Now, Express Sport brings you three of the biggest stories from snooker in recent days.
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Judd Trump 'homeless'
World No. 1 snooker star Trump has admitted he is basically homeless at the moment after being forced to leave Dubai due to the ongoing war in the region. Trump moved from the United Kingdom to the United Arab Emirates in January 2024, citing the better weather and snooker facilities on offer as the reason. But the conflict in the Middle East this month led the 36-year-old to leave Dubai in favour of Thailand, where he had been practising ahead of this week’s World Open in China. Opening up about the ordeal of moving out, Trump revealed he and his brother Jack are now essentially without a home.
The former world champion told The Sun: "I had to leave [Dubai]. So we went to Bangkok. Yeah, it's a bit up in the air at the moment really. I don't really think I can go back at the moment, just in case I get stuck there. [I'm] just kind of looking for somewhere else to live at the moment. At the moment I'll just base myself in Bangkok. There's some good practice there. Very well looked after. It's just all a bit play it day-by-day at the moment.
"My brother was stuck in Dubai for a little bit so that wasn't good. Luckily he's got out now and hopefully things turn around. I managed to practise in Thailand and dedicate myself like I normally would. Just trying to make the best of a bad situation. It's just difficult at the moment because you don't know where I'm going to be living. Every day is different. Just living in a hotel for the last few weeks really. It's not nice to be not at home, not knowing what you're going to do. I don't know what I'm going to do after this and stuff like that. It's just play it day by day, trying my best when I'm out there playing snooker. Away from the table, just take the positives."
O’Sullivan makes history
O’Sullivan has hit the highest break ever made in a professional snooker match with a sensational 153 against Ryan Day. The Rocket had been in impressive form already, having beaten Matthew Selt and Shaun Murphy to reach Friday’s quarter-final.
The seven-time world champion went one step further by making history against Day, racking up the biggest ever break in the opening frame. O’Sullivan hit a 153 to make it 1-0, eclipsing Jamie Burnett’s previous record of 148.
He potted the green as an extra red before adding his opening black and then reeling off 15 reds, 13 further blacks and two pinks before clearing the final six colours to reach 153. That set the tone for the 50-year-old to clinch a dominant 5-0 victory.
Ronnie opens up
Ahead of that remarkable display, O’Sullivan opened up about experiencing a "tortuous" period in his career. The Rocket has been back to his best this week after cutting down his playing schedule this season following a gruelling 2025. He beat Murphy to book his place in the last eight in China.
Afterwards, he explained the difference in his mindset now compared to last year when speaking to WST: "Shaun has been playing unbelievably. He has been so strong. I was happy when I got to 2-2. I thought at least I’ve been involved in a game against a top quality player. To win is even better.
"If I can get my cue through the ball I will be alright. It doesn’t matter whether I win or lose. I am able to do that now. It has been torturous to be honest with you. It has been really hard work.
"For me, just going out there and playing is a victory. Whether I win or lose is irrelevant. For me to be able to go out there and not feel scared is a victory. I am happy to go out there and feel that if I get a chance I might do something. Before I was thinking please don’t miss, don’t let me on the table. This is what was going through my head."
