The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) has today announced the 2025/26 WPBSA Q Tour Global, which includes a new format and increased money for the Q Tour Europe series.
The Q Tour Global is an established series of events which provides an elite pathway for talented snooker players around the world to earn their place on the World Snooker Tour.
In its second full season, Q Tour Global continued to see records broken with 711 players from 54 countries completing 1542 matches across four continents.
WPBSA Q Tour Europe
This season’s Q Tour Europe will once again comprise seven events, with five to be held in mainland Europe for the first time, and sees significant changes to the format, ranking system and prize money following player feedback.
Prize money more than doubled from the 2024/25 season to £30,000 per event
New seeding structure
Best-of-seven frame matches from the last 128 stage onwards
New points-based ranking system
Regular seeding cut-off dates introduced to make the seedings per event more up to date and relative to the current seasons results
The circuit will benefit from increased prize money investment with £30,000 to be contested at each of the events – more than double the prize fund from the past season.
Following player feedback, there has also been an important change to the tournament seeding structure, which will now see 64 players seeded through to the last 128 stage. Each tournament will be played under a flat draw, with the remaining players drawn at random.
All matches from the last 128 stage onwards will now be played over the best of seven frames and each event will now be played over four days.
A new points-based ranking system will replace the previously used prize money system and points will be on offer in all rounds of each event. There will also be regular seeding cut-off dates to ensure the seedings reflect the current seasons results.
As in previous seasons, the top ranked player at the end of the campaign will earn a place on the World Snooker Tour. The next 16-ranked players (to include each event champion) will qualify for the season-end Q Tour Global Playoff.
The Dates
The provisional dates for this season’s Q Tour Europe are:
WPBSA Chairman Jason Ferguson said: “We are delighted to announce the new, improved WPBSA Q Tour Europe series for the 2025/26 season. We have listened to the players and consulted with the WPBSA Players Board and we believe these changes are a great start to building for the future not just in Europe but across all the Q Tour Global events.”
“As we move forward, we plan to make further improvements so that WPBSA can establish a truly global secondary tour for our sport. These changes are only the beginning!”
Event Entry
Entry for all seven Q Tour Europe events is now open via WPBSA SnookerScores. Please view each tournament for confirmation of each entry deadline.
We aim to accommodate all players who wish to enter; however, we do reserve the right to limit entries for each qualifier or to extend events subject to the number of tables available at the club and time available.
Q Tour Global
WPBSA Q Tour Global will continue to incorporate regional Q Tour series’ staged around the world as part of the continued international expansion of Q Tour.
The Q Tour Global will once again continue to include series in the Middle East, Americas and Asia-Pacific regions, alongside the CBSA China Tour.
As part of the WPBSA’s commitment to the international growth of our sport, the leading players from these Regional Q Tour events will qualify to compete at the Q Tour Global Playoff, alongside players from Q Tour Europe.
Players competing in Q Tour events outside of Europe, must be resident for a minimum six months to be eligible to play in these events.
This, in my views is great news as five of the seven events are played outside the UK. This is how it should be in the main tour as well, qualifiers included, if snooker really has ambition to be a global sport. It did however trigger negative reaction from British amateurs on social media, complaining about the costs and travels. They were “outraged” when I told them that they have been “privileged” for far too long, that this is, finally, how it should be. To this, of course, they responded that they haven’t be privileged … until I explained how the current structure of the main tour basically forces every non British player to live as expat in the UK, away from their family, which is certainly taxing mentally and emotionally, or to travel back and forth all the time, which is tiring and costly, how communication with the gouverning body is done in English, which for non-UK/Irish players is a foreign language…
I’m sure that I didn’t convince those who feel entitled … but my post was liked by a non British player and the father of another non British player, a young and quite successful one too. The said father left this comment: “It’s about time. Welcome to the world of non UK players 😀”. Exactly that!
Thailand’s Thepchaiya Un-Nooh whitewashed Martin O’Donnell in the final game of Group 31 to make the second stage of the BetVictor Championship League ranking event in Leicester.
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Former Shoot Out champion Un-Nooh came into the crunch clash knowing he needed to win, while just a draw would see O’Donnell progress. In typical style, Un-Nooh averaged just 16 seconds a shot in a 3-0 win where he fired in breaks of 74, 76 and 98. Earlier in the day, Un-Nooh drew 2-2 with Gao Yang and defeated 12-time Women’s World Champion Reanne Evans 3-0.
The action in Group 24 saw Chinese rookie Liu Wenwei prevail to earn his place in the second stage. He opened up with a 3-0 win over Jordan Brown, before beating Jackson Page 3-1 and drawing 2-2 against Zachary Richardson, where he came from 2-0 down to earn top spot.
Liu Wenwei impressed me. Group 24 was certainly not an easy one on paper with Jordan Brown and Jackson Page in the field. But Liu was unfazed. He beat them both. He ended up, undefeated, as the winner of the group. Zak Richardson, playing as an amateur, replaced Jimmy White who withdrew. He, as well, finished the day undefeated but also winless … he managed three draws in three matches!
Plymouth potter Hayden Pinhey edged past Barry Hawkins by the narrowest of margins to top Group 1 and progress to the second phase of the BetVictor Championship League in Leicester.
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The pair contested a crucial final game, which decided who went through. Four-time ranking event winner Hawkins came into that with pole position, after a 2-2 draw with John Astley and a 3-0 win over Haris Tahir. Pinhey also drew with Astley, but lost out 3-1 against Tahir. However, a 3-0 whitewash of Hawkins saw Pinhey edge the group by just a single frame. Hawkins and Tahir also ended the day on four points, bowing out on frame difference.
Group 20 saw David Lilley pip fellow Englishman Ashley Hugill on frame difference. Former World Seniors Champion Lilley top scored with 90 in a 3-0 win over David Grace and 128 in a 2-2 draw with Hugill. A critical break of 86 in his final frame of the day saw him beat Zhou Yuelong 3-1 and top the group by a margin of three frames.
I didn’t watch a ball yesterday, therefore I have nothing of substance to add.
China’s 21-year-old Liu Hongyu was the stand-out player in Group 21 of the BetVictor Championship League in Leicester as he booked a place in the second stage.
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Liu and Tom Ford are through to the last 32 of the season’s first ranking event and will return to the Mattioli Arena later this month.
After beating Ian Burns 3-0 in his opening match with breaks of 89, 55 and 104, Liu saw off Patrick Whelan 3-1 with a top run of 133. In his last match of the day he fired breaks of 93 and 89 in a 2-2 draw with Noppon Saengkham as he comfortably finished top of the table.
Group 8 was far closer and came down to the last few frames. Shoot Out champion Ford drew 2-2 with Simon Blackwell then beat Mink Nutcharut 3-0 with a top break of 132. He needed to avoid defeat in his last fixture against Allan Taylor and managed a 2-2 draw which left him level on points with Blackwell but just ahead on frame difference.
Artemijs Zizins beat three players, including world number 15 Si Jiahui, to top Group 4 at the BetVictor Championship League and reach the last 32 of a ranking event for the first time.
Latvia’s 19-year-old Zizins, who turned pro in 2024, was in superb form throughout the day in Leicester, winning nine frames and conceding just one. He’s through to the second phase which starts on July 18th.
A break of 92 helped Zizins beat Farakh Ajaib 3-1 and he then then saw off Kayden Brierley 3-0. Si could still have snatched the group by winning his last match, but he was no match for Zizins who strolled to a 3-0 success with top runs of 75 and 74.
Robbie Williams topped Group 30 thanks to a fine late win over Ben Woollaston. Williams top scored with 110 in a 3-0 defeat of Florian Nuessle then drew 2-2 with Iulian Boiko. Woollaston was in the driving seat having won his first two matches, but Williams came from 1-0 down to beat him 3-1 with breaks of 72, 60 and 53.
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I almost exclusively watched Artemijs Zizins yesterday and I was well impressed by how much he has progressed over the last year.
The day before was disappointing for me: Mink showed no form at all but then maybe she had just returned from Thailand and was still tired from the travel and jet lagged? I do perfectly understand why those players from Asia, who spend most of the year away from their families and friend, would want to make the most of the summer break and stay with their loved ones for as long as possible.
Ben Mertens reached the last 32 of a ranking event for the fifth time in his career by topping Group 10 at BetVictor Championship League in Leicester.
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Mertens and Group 23 winner Sam Craigie progress to the second stage which gets underway on July 18th.
Belgium’s 20-year-old Mertens scored heavily throughout the day to earn top spot. He opened with a 3-0 win over Jonas Luz, highlighted by a break of 131 in the third frame. He then drew 2-2 with Alfie Davies, helped by runs of 130 and 131. In the last match of the group he faced Jak Jones, who also had a win and a draw under his belt. Mertens eased to a 3-0 success with breaks of 64, 59 and 76.
Craigie is back in action after missing a whole season with a neck injury, but won his British Open qualifying match last month and followed up today by battling through a tight group. After beating Jimmy Robertson 3-0 with a top run of 79, he drew 2-2 with Mark Davis with a top break of 101. Craigie then let slip a 2-0 lead and drew 2-2 with Connor Benzey, which left the group wide open as Robertson and Davis met in the last match. Both needed to win to top the table, but their 2-2 draw meant Craigie was just ahead of Davis on frame difference.
Earlier in this competition, I reflected how Julien Leclercq looked dispirited and out of form. Despite the fact that I’m not at all into “nationalist fandom” in any sport, it saddens me. I want mainland Europe to be better represented on tour so that WST eventually feels forced to break away from their UK centric organisation. Ben, fortunately, seems to continue to thrive and progress. He played well yesterday.
Jonas Luz on the other hand is very “far ” from the level required to survive on tour. I know that some of these invitational tour cards are part of WST “international” strategy1 but what’s the point? Some of these guys will spend two years in the UK, more often than not playing qualifiers in soulless venues, with next to nobody watching, homesick and lonely. I know that WPBSA offers services to support players who struggle with mental health, which is good, but … how does it work for those who have only a basic command of the English language?
“What’s your solution?” you will ask me. To be honest I don’t have one. Snooker isn’t big enough to offer adequate structures for aspiring young in every country in the world, I’m afraid. What I believe though is that a global ELO system covering all levels and all national/regional federations would help players and snooker sporting bodies to understand exactly where they stand. And, if WPBSA, wants to help talented players from regions where the sport needs developing, why not offer some carefully selected “talents” a year paid scholarship, with a personalised but strict training program, including international amateur competitions, before “throwing” them into the gladiatorial arena called “Main Tour”?
Jason Ferguson, chairman of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, has paid a glowing tribute to Ronnie O’Sullivan for his role in boosting the profile and growth of the sport since he turned professional in 1992. The seven-time world champion turns 50 in December, but Ferguson feels his reputation transcends the game. “He’s a sporting superstar without a doubt,” said Ferguson.
Ronnie O’Sullivan will be celebrated as one of the greatest sportsmen of all time with his legacy in snooker already secured, according to Jason Ferguson, chairman of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association.
O’Sullivan turned professional in 1992, claiming seven world titles, eight Masters and four Champion of Champions amid a record ranking event haul of 41 victories, 15 maximum breaks and 1289 centuries.
He also remains the youngest winner of a ranking event with his 10-6 victory over Stephen Hendry in the final of the 1993 UK Championship achieved at the age of 17.
Former professional Ferguson suggests the snooker GOAT’s success, speed and style of his play transcends the sport.
“I mean, the way he plays, the shots he plays, the style he plays. It’s just so attractive, isn’t it? He’s a superstar. He’s a sporting superstar without question in any sport.
“You hear it from many people from other sports. They all say it’s one of the hardest sports in the world. The game is just so difficult.
“Ronnie Sullivan has to be one of the greatest sportsman of all time. That is without a doubt.“
O’Sullivan was invited to Wimbledon last year by 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic.
“I’m his fan,” said Djokovic about O’Sullivan. “I watch snooker just because of him. I watched when I was a kid. Honestly, I watched him play many years ago.
“My father loved watching snooker. I only watched Ronnie. Whenever he would not play, I would not watch.
“We just had a meet-up, an interaction for the first time. It was great. He was one of the sport greats I used to watch when I was a kid. It was really nice to have him around.”
Despite struggling with confidence and cue problems, O’Sullivan ended a four-month absence by managing to reach the semi-finals of the World Championship in May before losing 17-7 to eventual winner Zhao Xintong in the semi-finals.
Hendry feels Zhao was the first player since O’Sullivan to make the game look “ridiculously easy” in his run to becoming China’s historic first world champion with an 18-12 final win over Mark Williams.
“This boy can take us to another level as a sport,” commented Ferguson. “He’s young, he’s cool, he’s popular.“
O’Sullivan could face Zhao at the Shanghai Masters later this month, when he is expected to make his competitive return to the game.
The coveted invitational competition, staged from July 28-August 3, involves the top 16 in the world rankings, with the four highest-ranked Chinese players and four amateur wild cards making up the 24-player field.
O’Sullivan is seeded through to the round of 16 and will begin his quest for a sixth victory at the event on July 30 against Barry Hawkins or Wu Yize.
Zhao is set to end his suspension from competitive play in China on July 1, following his involvement in a match-fixing probe, and will face Chris Wakelin or a wild card in the last 16.
I really like Zhao. I like his game and every time I watched him play or listened to an interview he gave, he came across as a positive, down-to-earth and loveable personality. He smiles a lot. He plays a positive, dynamic and clever brand of snooker. I care very little about nationalities in sports. For all I care a sportsperson could be from Mars, if I like their style and admire their skills, I will support them.
David Gilbert won a Group 12 deciding showdown with Duane Jones 3-1 to progress to the next phase of the BetVictor Championship League ranking event in Leicester, while Scottish Open champion Lei Peifan topped Group 19.
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Former Championship League winner Gilbert swept to three wins out of three to edge out Welshman Jones. Gilbert opened with a 3-0 win over Paul Deaville, top scoring with 129. He then beat Louis Heathcote 3-1 with runs of 105, 139 and 77 to set up a decisive meeting with Jones.
Meanwhile, Jones prevailed 3-1 against Heathcote and 3-0 against Deaville to match Gilbert’s results. With Gilbert leading 2-1 in the last game of the day, he fired in an 82 to win 3-1, move clear of Jones and top the group.
Lei beat Mateusz Baranowski 3-0 and Ryan Davies 3-1 to put himself in pole position to progress. He knew just a draw with Chinese compatriot Long Zehuang would see him through. Despite trailing 2-0, breaks of 120 and 54 saw him end the match level at 2-2.
I have nothing to add really. The best players won their group. Both groups went pretty much “on seeding”. The “exception” was professional Mateusz Baranowski who finished last, behind Ryan Davies, an amateur, despite actually beating Ryan in the match they played.
Paul Deaville was considered an interesting prospect a couple of years ago but has done very little in recent times. Of course, we do not know where his priorities are, nor do we know how much time he actually can or wants to devote to snooker. Let’s not forget that those guys have a life away from the green baize, and that most amateurs have a job and/or pursue further education.
