JEDDAH: The 2025 World Pool Championship, the most lucrative tournament in nine-ball history, returns on Monday for the second consecutive year in Saudi Arabia.
Running from July 21 to 26 at the Green Hall venue, the tournament features a record-breaking $1 million prize pool.
The contestants include 128 elite players from more than 40 countries, including powerhouses from the US, Taiwan, Germany, Philippines, UK, and host nation Saudi Arabia.
Organized by the Saudi Arabian Billiard & Snooker Federation, the Kingdom’s Ministry of Sport and the World Nineball Tour, the event highlights the nation’s growing stature in the global sporting calendar.
At a press conference on Sunday to launch the tournament, top players and the organizers expressed excitement about the upcoming contests.
Emily Frazer, CEO of Matchroom, unveiled the tournament’s striking new trophy and hailed Saudi Arabia’s growing role in cue sports.
“It is really an honor to be here in Saudi Arabia for the second year in a row,” she said.
Nayef Aljawini, president of the SBSF, spoke of the tournament’s wider significance for sports development in the Kingdom.
“Today, we are witnessing a comprehensive renaissance in billiards and snooker, as is happening in all other sports within the Kingdom,” he said.
“The great support from the Ministry of Sports reflects our deep belief in the capabilities of our youth, and these hosting events are only the beginning of a promising future for this game and other sports.
“We look forward to warmly welcoming the very best snooker and pool players in the world to the Kingdom and taking their sports into the heart of our communities, while also giving emerging young Saudi players the chance to compete at this level for the second time at home,” he added.
Among the leading names in attendance was Fedor Gorst, the reigning world champion and current world No. 1.
“I am back in Jeddah to defend my title and I’m very much looking forward to competing amidst the best in the world,” he said.
Filipino star Johann Chua, winner of the Hanoi Open, said he would approach the event with positivity and calm.
“I’m really excited about it and I don’t think about the pressure at all. I’m looking forward to it and will just try and enjoy as much of it as possible.”
American legend Shane Van Boening, one of the sport’s most successful players, was equally confident.
“Yes, I am ready and looking forward to compete with other players and hope to win it this year,” he said.
Representing the host nation, Saudi Arabia’s rising star Khalid Al-Ghamdi said he was looking forward to the competition.
“We are really so excited to be part of the tournament which gathers the best in the world and we all hope to raise our level and reach good positions.
“Simply, we are all looking forward to be there among the best,” he said.
The competition will begin with a double elimination format, where players must win two matches in race-to-nine racks to progress. From there, the final 64 enter a single elimination phase of race-to-11 racks, culminating in Saturday’s final, a race-to-15 showdown.
Fans around the world will be able to follow the action live.
Sky Sports will provide daily coverage from 7 p.m. local time, while DAZN (US, Spain), Vietcontent (Vietnam) and TAP (Philippines) are among several international broadcasters carrying the event.
