Kyren Wilson clarifies why John Higgins is the 'most complete player' amid GOAT debate involving Ronnie O'Sullivan
Published 15/11/2026 at 20:57 GMT
Kyren Wilson has sought to clarify why he sees John Higgins as the "most complete player" ever in snooker, even if he does believe Ronnie O'Sullivan is the greatest. Wilson recently beat Higgins in a thrilling International Championship final in Nanjing, China.
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Video credit: TNT Sports
After that match, Wilson described Higgins as "pretty much the most complete snooker player of all time".
That led to plenty of debate among snooker lovers. And a week on, Wilson has further clarified his comments amid talk over snooker's GOAT.
"I think Ronnie is the greatest of all time. There's no doubt about that, but he's done it in a different way," Wilson told the Daily Star.
"Ronnie's done it in quite a stylish, flamboyant way. And in terms of a winner, Ronnie is the best winner of all time and the greatest player to do it.
”But in terms of, you know, if John's not quite there on one day, he can win a World Championship with his 'D game'. He's that good.
"So that's kind of what I mean in terms of a complete player, because you're not going to play your best all the time.
"And that's been one of John's biggest qualities, I think, over the years, where he's been able to not play his best and still win major tournaments."
Higgins' career is certainly the stuff of folklore in snooker. He has been in and around the top of the game for more than three decades as a professional, winning a slew of titles.
He has been crowned world champion four times, has won the UK Championship three times and the Masters twice.
Higgins actually went four years without winning a tournament in recent times, but then claimed a memorable double at the World Open and Tour Championship last year.
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Now aged 51, his run to the final in Nanjing - where Wilson edged to a 10-8 victory - was by far his strongest tournament performance of the season. Speaking after the final, Higgins said he was now targeting another tournament victory.
"I've got to be honest, I'm taking the positives," Higgins said.
"I was in very poor form coming into the tournament. It has given me motivation to get back and try to win an event soon."
The next tournament in the snooker season is one of the biggest on the calendar, the UK Championship, with live coverage on TNT Sports on HBO Max.
Qualifying begins next Saturday, with the main stages underway on Saturday, November 28. Mark Selby is the defending champion, having beaten Judd Trump in the 2025 final in York.
Watch and stream the 2026/27 snooker season, including the World Championship and Home Nations events, live with TNT Sports on HBO Max
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