Stephen Hendry picks one player to dominate the 2026-27 snooker season

Stephen Hendry names one player he expects to dominate this snooker season

Stephen Hendry has singled out Ronnie O’Sullivan as the player most likely to dominate the 2026-27 snooker season. The seven-time world champion made the prediction in a recent interview, framing it as a realistic outlook rather than a wish.

What did Hendry say?

Hendry told reporters he expects O’Sullivan to take control early and stay ahead for most of the campaign. He pointed to the Englishman’s consistency and big-match experience as the key reasons. The Scot also stressed that O’Sullivan’s form has been trending upward since the spring.

O’Sullivan, 50, has already racked up more than 1,200 competitive centuries in his career. Hendry called that record “a huge psychological edge,” adding that it keeps opponents under constant pressure. The pair have met 29 times across three decades, with O’Sullivan holding a 17-12 lead.

Why it matters for Stephen Hendry

For Hendry, the forecast is more than idle talk. He’s positioning himself as an analyst who still reads the tour’s pulse. His comments arrive just before the defending champion, Judd Trump, kicks off his title defence in Riga. A strong O’Sullivan run would tighten the early betting markets and shift focus to the big names before the autumn ranking events.

Hendry’s own season ended early in April when he lost 10-4 to Si Jiahui in the first round of the Tour Championship. He’s now 57 and plays only select invitational events, but his insight still carries weight among pundits and fans.

What comes next?

The new season fires up on 12 August in Leicester for the Championship League qualifiers. O’Sullivan will open his campaign two weeks later at the European Masters in Fürth. Trump, meanwhile, starts his title defence on 15 August against Liam Highfield.

Hendry’s prediction lands as the bookmakers install O’Sullivan as the early favourite for the 2027 World Championship. The Scot’s bold call could spark fresh debate about who will truly challenge the Rocket this time around-especially if Trump or Mark Selby can turn their own hot streaks into silverware before Christmas.