The 2025 Champion of Champions starts today, without Ronnie who declined the invitation. As a result, Alfie Burden is in the draw, which is only right as Alfie is the reigning World Seniors Champion whilst Ronnie has not won any event since the last edition of this competition. Wu Yize, of course, just won the 2025 International Championship, but that event will count for next season. A very last minute change of the draw and schedule would have been unmanageable.

Here is the information about the schedule of the 2025 CofC

SCHEDULE CONFIRMED FOR THE 2025 SPORTSBET.IO CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS, 10–16 NOVEMBER

The schedule is now confirmed for the 2025 Sportsbet.io Champion of Champions, where snooker’s biggest stars will battle it out at Leicester’s Mattioli Arena for the first time in the event’s history.

Taking place from 10th to 16th November, the event will be broadcast live from 12:45 pm (UK time) on Monday, with coverage on ITV4 in the UK, Rigour in China, and through global broadcast partners, bringing the action to fans across the world.

Match Schedule
Group Stages (Best-of-Seven)

Monday 10th November – Group Two
Judd Trump (England)
Shaun Murphy (England)
Lei Peifan (China)
Bai Yulu (China)

The 2025 Sportsbet.io Champion of Champions opens with Group Two, headlined by World No. 1 Judd Trump, who faces Masters Champion Shaun Murphy and Chinese stars Lei Peifan and Bai Yulu – the reigning Women’s World Champion making her second appearance in the tournament.

Tuesday 11th November – Group Three
Kyren Wilson (England)
Mark Allen (Northern Ireland)
Zhao Xintong (China)
Jack Lisowski (England)

Group Three features a star-studded line-up including World Champion Zhao Xintong, Kyren Wilson, Mark Allen, and Jack Lisowski. This group promises fast-paced and entertaining snooker from start to finish.

Wednesday 12th November – Group One
Mark Williams (Wales)
Mark Selby (England)
Stephen Maguire (Scotland)
Alfie Burden (England)

Group One sees Mark Williams begin his title defence campaign, joined by Leicester’s own Mark Selby, Stephen Maguire, and World Seniors Champion Alfie Burden. With three former World Champions in the mix, expect a fiercely contested day of classic match-ups.

Thursday 13th November – Group Four
Neil Robertson (Australia)
John Higgins (Scotland)
Xiao Guodong (China)
Tom Ford (England)

Concluding the group stages, Group Four brings together two former Champion of Champions winners in Neil Robertson and John Higgins, alongside Xiao Guodong and local favourite Tom Ford.many of them probably have day jobs.

Next week comes the 2025 Riyadh Season Championship, this time with Ronnie in the draw, but it’s not a particularly favorable draw…

Here is the information about that event, as reported by TNT:

Ronnie O’Sullivan handed nightmare draw in quest to hit £1m golden jackpot in Riyadh with Zhao Xintong and Judd Trump chasing snooker’s richest prize

By Desmond Kane

The winner of the third Riyadh Season Snooker Championship in Saudi Arabia could earn a whopping £1m for three days work if they claim the title and produce the sport’s first 167 break. The richest prize in the sport is available with the champion earning £250,000 and a further $1m (£751,000) on the line for the first player to sink a Golden Ball after making a 147 maximum break.

Ronnie O’Sullivan will have to do it the hard way if he is to claim a second title in three seasons at the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship in Saudi Arabia next month.

The seven-time world champion won the inaugural staging of the event last year, but has been handed a potential minefield when the invitational event is staged between November 19-21 at Boulevard City, live on TNT Sports and discovery+.

O’Sullivan will open his campaign on the first day of the competition against Masters champion Shaun Murphy or local player Ziyad Al–Qabbani, with the winner of that contest facing world champion Zhao Xintong the following night in the quarter-finals.

It does not get easier for the snooker GOAT, with world No. 1 Judd Trump or new Xi’an Grand Prix winner Mark Williams next up in the semi-finals on the final day.

The event, made up of the top nine players in the world and the Crucible winner Zhao, has become famous for offering a $1m prize (£751,000) if any player can produce the first 167 in snooker history – a traditional 147 followed by potting a ‘golden ball’ worth 20 points after sinking the final black.

The golden ball has been perched in the middle of the baulk cushion for the first two editions of the event, but there has been speculation it might be moved to a more favourable location this year.

The golden ball is traditionally removed from the table by the referee when a 147 is no longer possible in a frame.

“The first one is going to be special,” said O’Sullivan, who is based in Dubai and has a snooker academy in Riyadh.

“You can’t take anything away from someone who does it down the line, but that first one is always going to be remembered.

“It will be some history and create some serious headlines.

“Big prize. $1m. No one’s ever won a prize like that in snooker ever before.”

Four-time world champion John Higgins was on course for the 167 in the maiden staging of the event, but ran out of position on 120 in trying to land on the yellow off a tricky black before missing the yellow.

“Our dream is to see the gold ball potted at the end of a maximum break to complete the world’s first ever 167!” said Naif Al-Jaweini, the general manager of Riyadh Season Snooker.

“I am sure every player in the field shares this dream as this achievement would help bring our sport to a new level on a global scale.”

On paper at least, the top half of the draw looks slightly more favourable in the chase for the lucrative £250,000 first prize.

Defending champion Mark Allen is in line to take on Higgins or Ding Junhui – who opens against home hope Ayman Alamri on Wednesday, November 19 – in the last eight as world No. 2 Kyren Wilson meets Neil Robertson, who returns to the country after his £500,000 victory at the Saudi Arabia Masters in August.

All matches are the best of seven frames with the best-of-nine frame final due to take place on Friday, November 21 at 19:00 UK time.

O’Sullivan defeated Luca Brecel 5-2 in the first final in March 2024, with Allen running out a 5-1 winner over Brecel before Christmas last year.

You will find the draw and schedule for this event here on snooker.org.

The way Ronnie’s matches are scheduled fans in the UK and western mainland Europe will have to stay up very late to watch them live, but, of course, those hours are the ones most suitable for the Saudi Arabian fans, as many of them have day jobs