Mark Selby
Mark Selby is a four-time World Champion, twice a UK Champion, and three times a Masters Champion. He has 20 ranking titles to his name.
Born in Leicester on 19 June 1983, Mark began playing pool at the age of eight and snooker at the age of nine. Malcolm Thorne, the brother of Willie Thorne, spotted Mark’s snooker ability and offered him free practice at his brother’s snooker club. Abandoned by his mother at the age of eight, Mark lost his father to cancer when he was 16. Before he died, Mark promised him to be World Champion one day. He kept his promise. His first World title, in 2014, was particularly emotional. He won it again in 2016, 2017, and 2021. He is the current reigning World Champion.
Mark is also the current World Number One. He first reached the Number One status in September 2011 and held the position for more than four years continuously between February 2015 and March 2019.
Mark has compiled more than 700 century breaks in professional competition, including three maximum breaks.
Mark Selby is a hard worker, renowned for his iron will to win, his patience, and the quality of his safety game. Nicknamed “the Jester of Leicester”, he likes to have a laugh, spend a good time with friends … and sing! Yes, he has a good voice.
The 2021/22 season proved to be a very difficult one for Mark Selby. Mark was the reigning World Champion but struggled badly throughout. Except for a run to the semi-finals at the 2021 World Grand Prix, he failed to go past the last 16 in any ranking event. Early March, Mark revealed that he had been struggling badly with depression for months and that he wanted to put his health first. Rightly so. Despite this, he decided to try and defend his World title. He lost in the last 16 to Yan Bingtao. Despite this defeat, he revealed that speaking out had lifted a huge weight off his shoulders and that he had been able to enjoy playing again, despite his lack of form.
The 2022/23 season was a very successful one for Mark Selby. Being open about his mental health struggles proved to be liberating for Mark who reached three ranking finals during the season, winning two of them. Mark the 2022 English Open and the 2023 WST Classic and was runner-up to Luca Brecel at the 2023 World Championship. Despite that defeat, Mark was very happy with his season, because he was able to enjoy his snooker again. Mark finished the season ranked 5th in the World.
The 2023/24 season started well enough for Mark Selby: he reached the semi-finals at the 2023 European Masters and the 2023 Shanghai Masters, and was runner-up at the 2023 British Open. After that, however, his form dipped. It later transpired that Mark’s wife, Vikki, had been diagnosed with breast cancer, and although she seems to have beaten it, that was a major concern for the whole family. Mark’s only title of the season was the 2024 Championship League Invitational.
Ranking titles (20):
World Championship: 2014, 2016, 2017, 2021
UK Championship: 2012, 2016
Welsh Open: 2008 – Mark’s first ranking title, beating Ronnie O’Sullivan by 9-8 from 8-5 down
Shanghai Masters: 2011, 2016
German Masters: 2015
China Open: 2015, 2017, 2018
Paul Hunter Classic: 2016
International Championship: 2016, 2017
China Championship: 2018
English Open: 2019, 2022
Scottish Open: 2019, 2020
European Masters 2020
WST Classic 2023
Non-ranking major events:
The Masters: 2008, 2010, 2013
Wuxi Classic: 2011
Six-reds World Championship: 2010
Championship League Snooker (invitational): 2024
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