History of Mark Williams (snooker player) in Timeline

Mark Williams is a Welsh professional snooker player, celebrated as a three-time World Champion (2000, 2003, 2018) and a former world number one. His peak season was 2002-03, during which he achieved the Triple Crown, joining Steve Davis and Stephen Hendry as only the third player to accomplish this feat. Notably, Williams is the sole player to have won all three versions of the professional world championship: the World Snooker Championship, the Six-red World Championship, and the World Seniors Championship, solidifying his place in snooker history.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles

March 1975: Mark Williams Born

In March 1975, Mark James Williams, the Welsh professional snooker player, was born.

1978: Ray Reardon wins World Championship

In 1978, Ray Reardon won the World Championship. Mark Williams became the oldest winner since Reardon in 2018.

1982: Ray Reardon's Record

In 1982, Ray Reardon was 50 years and 14 days old when he won the Professional Players Tournament.

1982: Reardon in 1982 World Championship Final

In 2025, Mark Williams became the oldest player to reach the final of the World Championship, superseding fellow Welshman Reardon who was 49 when he played the final in 1982.

January 1991: Reached World Masters Junior Final

In January 1991, Mark Williams reached the final of the junior event at the World Masters but lost 1‍–‍6 to John Higgins.

1992: Became a Professional Player

In 1992, Mark Williams turned professional as a snooker player.

1992: Turned Professional

Mark Williams turned professional during the 1992–93 season.

1992: Start of Professional Seasons List

The list of Mark Williams' competition results for professional seasons starts from 1992.

January 1996: Won Welsh Open

In January 1996, Mark Williams won the Welsh Open title, defeating John Parrott 9‍–‍3 in the final.

October 1996: Won Grand Prix

In October 1996, Mark Williams won the Grand Prix, defeating Euan Henderson 9‍–‍5 in the final.

1996: World Championship Main Stage Debut

Prior to 2014, Mark Williams hadn't missed the main stage of the World Championship since 1996.

April 1997: Won British Open

In April 1997, Mark Williams won the British Open, defeating Stephen Hendry 9‍–‍2 in the final.

1997: Mark Williams's First Appearance at the Tournament

Before 2017, the only other time Mark Williams missed the knockout stage of the World Championship was since his first appearance at the tournament in 1997.

February 1998: Won First Masters Title

In February 1998, Mark Williams secured his first Masters title, defeating Stephen Hendry 10‍–‍9 in the final.

1998: Won Masters Tournament

In 1998, Mark Williams won the Masters tournament.

November 1999: Won UK Championship

In November 1999, Mark Williams won the UK Championship, defeating Stephen Hendry 9‍–‍6 in the semi-final and Matthew Stevens 10‍–‍8 in the final.

1999: Runner-up at World Championship

In 1999, Mark Williams reached the final of the World Championship and finished as runner-up to Stephen Hendry, losing the final 11‍–‍18.

1999: Won UK Championship

In 1999, Mark Williams won the UK Championship.

May 2000: Ranked World Number One

In May 2000, Mark Williams was ranked the world number one snooker player for the first time.

2000: Won Grand Prix, Runner-up in UK Championship and China Open

In 2000, Mark Williams won the Grand Prix with a 9‍–‍5 victory over Ronnie O'Sullivan. He was a runner-up in the 2000 UK Championship, losing 4‍–‍10 to John Higgins, and in the 2000 China Open, where he was beaten 3‍–‍9 by Ronnie O'Sullivan.

2000: Won World Championship and Became World Number One

In 2000, Mark Williams won the World Championship, recovering from 7‍–‍13 behind against Matthew Stevens to win 18‍–‍16. This result, along with his UK Championship win and another ranking title at the 2000 Thailand Masters allowed him to capture the world number one position for the first time.

2000: Rematch of 2000 Final

In 2015, Mark Williams faced Mark Stevens in the first round of the World Championship in a rematch of their 2000 final.

2001: Lost in Second Round of World Championship

In 2001, Mark Williams's title defence at the World Championship ended in the second round with a 12‍–‍13 defeat to Joe Swail.

May 2002: Continued as World Number One

Mark Williams maintained his position as the world number one snooker player until May 2002.

2002: Equalled Century Record

During the 2022 World Championship, Mark Williams compiled 16 centuries, equalling the record set in 2002 by Hendry for centuries in a single World Championship.

2002: Won China Open, Lost World Number One Ranking

In 2002, Mark Williams won the China Open, defeating Anthony Hamilton 9‍–‍8 in the final. He was then defeated by Hamilton in the second round of the 2002 World Championship and subsequently lost the number one world ranking to O'Sullivan.

2002: Won UK Championship

In 2002, Mark Williams won the UK Championship, beating Ken Doherty 10–9 in the final.

May 2003: Ranked World Number One Again

In May 2003, Mark Williams was again ranked the world number one snooker player.

2003: Lost in First Round of UK Championship

In 2003, Mark Williams lost in the first round of the UK Championship to Fergal O'Brien, ending his record run of 48 tournaments in which he had won his first match.

2003: Won Second World Championship

In 2003, Mark Williams secured his second World Championship title.

2003: Last Welsh Open Semi-Final Before 2015

In 2003, prior to 2015, Mark Williams had last reached the semi-finals of the Welsh Open.

2003: Last World Championship Final before 2018

In 2003, prior to his final appearance in 2018, Mark Williams had last reached the final of the World Championship.

2003: Won Masters and World Championship, Reclaimed Number One Spot

The 2002–03 season was exceptional for Mark Williams as he won all three Triple Crown events: the 2002 UK Championship, 2003 Masters and the 2003 World Championship. Before the 2003 World Championship, he had a scare when his cue was damaged and bent on his flight with Ryanair. These results enabled him to reclaim the number one spot at the end of the season.

February 2004: Lost in Quarter-Finals of Masters

In February 2004, Mark Williams was unable to defend his title at the Masters; after defeating Matthew Stevens in the first round, he then lost a close match to Paul Hunter 5‍–‍6 in the quarter-finals.

May 2004: End of World Number One Ranking

Mark Williams's stint as the world number one snooker player concluded in May 2004.

2004: Awarded MBE

In 2004, Mark Williams was awarded a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the Queen's Birthday Honours.

April 2005: Maximum Break at World Championship

On April 20, 2005, at the World Championship, Mark Williams scored a maximum break at the Crucible and won £161,000 in prize money. He then lost in the second round to Ian McCulloch 12-13.

2005: Parted Company with Coach

During the 2005–06 season, it was revealed that Mark Williams and his coach Terry Griffiths had parted company.

March 2006: Won China Open

On March 26, 2006, Mark Williams won the China Open in Beijing, defeating John Higgins 9‍–‍8 in the final.

September 2006: Won Pot Black Trophy

In September 2006, Mark Williams won the Pot Black trophy and compiled a century break of 119.

2006: First Season since 2006-07 Without Quarter-Final

During the 2013-14 season, it was the first season since 2006-07 that Mark Williams failed to reach a single quarter-final in ranking events.

2007: Worst Season

2006–07 turned out to be perhaps the worst season of Mark Williams's career, as he lost his first match in a string of tournaments, including the 2007 Masters and the 2007 World Championship.

2007: Dropped out of Top 16

After the 2007-08 season, Mark Williams dropped out of the top 16 snooker players.

2007: UK Championship Quarter-Finals

At the 2007 UK Championship, Mark Williams defeated Ricky Walden 9–3, before producing a comeback to win eight successive frames for a 9–5 victory against Mark Allen. His run ended in the quarter-finals, where he lost to Stephen Maguire 5–9.

2007: Son born in 2007

One of Mark Williams' three sons was born in 2007.

July 2008: Split from Management Company

On July 8, 2008, it was announced that Mark Williams had split from his management company 110 Sport.

2008: Reached Quarter-Finals of UK Championship

In the 2008–09 season, Mark Williams reached the quarter-finals of the 2008 UK Championship, where he beat both Mark Selby and Graeme Dott 9‍–‍7, before narrowly losing 8‍–‍9 to Ali Carter.

2009: Regained Top 16 Place

For the 2009-10 season, Mark Williams regained his place in the top 16 snooker players.

2009: Lost in First Round of World Championship

Mark Williams qualified for the 2009 World Championship but lost 7‍–‍10 to Stephen Hendry after leading 7‍–‍5. Towards the end of the match, Williams was hampered by having problems with his cue tip.

2009: Broke Wrist and Reached Grand Prix Semi-Final

The 2009–10 season started badly for Mark Williams when he broke his wrist in a fall at home less than a month before the 2009 Shanghai Masters. He reached the semi-finals of the 2009 Grand Prix.

April 2010: Wins 2010 China Open

In April 2010, Mark Williams won the 2010 China Open, his first ranking tournament win in four years. He defeated Ding Junhui in the final 10-6, securing his 17th ranking event win and third China Open title. At the 2010 World Championship, he lost in the second round to Ronnie O'Sullivan.

2010: Reached Masters Quarter-Finals

At the 2010 Masters, Mark Williams won in the first round 6‍–‍3 against Ali Carter to progress to the quarter-finals, despite being involved in a traffic accident the day before the match. He was then narrowly defeated 5‍–‍6 by Ronnie O'Sullivan in the semi-finals.

2010: Becomes Co-owner of Tredegar Snooker Hall

In 2010, Mark Williams became co-owner of Tredegar Snooker Hall in Georgetown, Blaenau Gwent.

2010: Wins Players Tour Championship Event, Reaches UK Championship Final

In 2010, Mark Williams began the 2010-11 season by winning the first event of the Players Tour Championship, defeating Maguire in the final. He was selected for the 2010 Premier League but did not qualify for the semi-finals. He reached the final of the 2010 UK Championship, losing to John Higgins after leading significantly during the match.

May 2011: Ranked World Number One Again

In May 2011, Mark Williams was ranked the world number one snooker player for another period.

September 2011: End of World Number One Ranking

Mark Williams's ranking as world number one ended in September 2011.

2011: Marriage to Joanne

In 2011, Mark Williams married his partner Joanne.

2011: Reaches Finals of Australian Goldfields Open and Shanghai Masters

In 2011, Mark Williams represented Wales at the World Cup, reaching the semi-finals. He reached the final of the 2011 Australian Goldfields Open but lost to Stuart Bingham. He also lost in the final of the 2011 Shanghai Masters and relinquished the world number one spot.

2011: Won German Masters

In 2011, Mark Williams won the German Masters tournament.

2011: Wins German Masters, Reaches World Championship Semi-Final

In 2011, Mark Williams won the German Masters, defeating Mark Selby in the final. At the 2011 China Open, he lost in the first round. He reached the semi-final of the 2011 World Snooker Championship, becoming the new world number one after the event.

2012: Controversy at World Championship, Inducted into Hall of Fame

In 2012, Mark Williams generated controversy with comments about the World Snooker Championship's venue, for which he was later fined. He lost in the second round to Ronnie O'Sullivan. Mark Williams was inducted into the World Snooker Tour Hall of Fame in 2012.

2012: Reaches Quarter-Finals of German Masters

In 2012, Mark Williams reached the quarter-finals in his defence of the German Masters, but lost to Robert Milkins. He played in eleven of the twelve PTC events but failed to make the Finals.

2012: Reaches Shanghai Masters Semi-Finals, Contemplates Retirement

In 2012, Mark Williams reached the quarter-finals of the Wuxi Classic and the semi-finals of the Shanghai Masters, losing to Judd Trump. After a defeat at the 2012 UK Championship, he contemplated retirement due to a significant dip in form.

2012: Performance before 2013 Season

Prior to his performance in 2013, Mark Williams had a poor performance in the 2012-13 season which caused his world ranking to drop.

2013: Wins Rotterdam Open

At the start of the 2013-14 season, Mark Williams won the Rotterdam Open, marking his second title in a Players Tour Championship event.

2013: Beats Stevens in Masters, Poor Performance at World Championship

In 2013, Mark Williams beat Stevens at the Masters, then lost to Selby. He won his first ranking event match since September at the China Open, but lost in the quarter-finals. He lost in the first round of the 2013 World Championship, expressing a desire to forget the season, and dropped in rankings to world number 15.

2014: Absent from World Championship Main Stage

In 2014, Mark Williams lost in qualifying for the World Championship, missing the main stage for the first time since 1996, and ended the season as world number 18.

2014: Reaches International Championship Semi-Final

In 2014, Mark Williams reached his first quarter-final of the season at the International Championship, defeating Ronnie O'Sullivan for the first time in 12 years. He lost in the semi-final against Mark Allen. He was also defeated in the third round of the 2014 UK Championship.

2014: Son born in 2014

One of Mark Williams' three sons was born in 2014.

March 2015: Wins World Seniors Championship

In March 2015, Mark Williams won the World Seniors Championship, defeating Peter O'Brien in the final, despite being only 39 years old.

2015: Knocked out in the second round of the UK Championship

At the end of 2015, Mark Williams was knocked out in the second round of the UK Championship by Tom Ford.

2015: Reaches Players Championship Grand Final

In 2015, Mark Williams progressed to his first major ranking event final in more than three years at the Players Championship Grand Final, losing to Joe Perry. He faced Mark Stevens in the first round of the 2015 World Championship, losing heavily.

2016: Reaches UK Championship Quarter-Final

In 2016, Mark Williams reached the quarter-finals at the Northern Ireland Open, and the UK Championship.

2017: Reaches China Open Final, Misses World Championship Qualification

In 2017, Mark Williams reached the final of the China Open, losing to Mark Selby. He missed out on his first ranking title in six years and failed to qualify for the World Championship knockout stage for only the second time since 1997.

2017: Wins Six-red World Championship and Northern Ireland Open

In 2017, Mark Williams teamed up with Lee Walker to revive his career. He won the Six-red World Championship and his first ranking title in six years at the Northern Ireland Open. He revealed his wife's ill health and considered withdrawing from tournaments.

2017: Won Northern Ireland Open

In 2017, Mark Williams won the Northern Ireland Open.

2018: Wins German Masters

In 2018, Mark Williams defeated Mark Selby at the Masters and won the German Masters, dominating the final against Graeme Dott.

2018: Third World Championship Title

In 2018, Mark Williams secured his third World Championship title.

2018: Wins 2018 World Open

In 2018, as world champion, Mark Williams won the World Open. He overcame deficits in his quarter-final, semi-final, and final matches to secure the victory. He also reached the last 16 of the 2018 UK Championship, losing after leading Maguire.

2018: Won German Masters and World Title

The 2017–18 season was one of the best of Mark Williams's career, as he won the 2018 German Masters before winning his third world title at the Crucible.

2019: 2019 Masters and World Championship

In 2019, Mark Williams lost to Robertson at the Masters, and his World Championship title defence ended in the second round with a loss to Gilbert.

2019: Reaches China Championship Final and Expresses Dislike for Snooker

In 2019, Mark Williams reached the semi-finals of the Six-red World Championship and the final of the China Championship, losing a close deciding frame to Murphy in the latter. During the 2019 UK Championship, Williams expressed his dislike for snooker.

2020: 2020 Masters and World Championship Performance

In 2020, Mark Williams admitted his career was at a "crossroads" after losing in the first round of the Masters. He reached the quarter-finals of the 2020 World Championship, losing to O'Sullivan after initially leading.

2020: Ronnie O'Sullivan won his sixth world title

In 2020, Ronnie O'Sullivan won his sixth world title. Mark Williams is now the third-oldest winner of a world title in the modern era.

August 2021: Wins 24th Ranking Title at British Open

In August 2021, Mark Williams secured his 24th ranking title by defeating Gary Wilson in the final of the British Open.

2021: Wins WST Pro Series and Controversy at 2021 World Championship

In 2021, Mark Williams lost in the first round of the Masters to Murphy. He won the WST Pro Series, his first title in three years, and reached the quarter-finals of the 2021 World Championship. He generated controversy for a safety shot during the championship, leading to discussions about banning the shot.

2022: Early Exit from UK Championship

At the end of 2022, Mark Williams lost in the first round of the UK Championship to Jamie Clarke, reportedly due to feeling unwell.

2022: Masters and World Championship Performances in 2022

In 2022, Mark Williams lost in the second round of the UK Championship after reportedly falling asleep during the match. At the Masters, he lost to Robertson in the semi-finals after leading. He also reached the semi-finals of the 2022 World Championship, losing to Trump in a deciding frame and equalling Hendry's record for centuries in a single World Championship.

October 2023: Wins 2023 British Open

In October 2023, Mark Williams won the British Open in Cheltenham, defeating Selby and becoming the second-oldest winner of a ranking event at the time.

2023: 2023 Masters and World Championship Results

In 2023, Mark Williams beat O'Sullivan at the Masters for the first time in eight years, reaching the final where he lost to Trump. He was eliminated in the second round of the 2023 World Championship by Luca Brecel.

January 2024: First Round Loss at the Masters

In January 2024, Mark Williams lost in the first round of the Masters to Carter.

September 2024: Reaches Final of Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters

In September 2024, Mark Williams reached the final of the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters but was defeated by Trump after missing a red while holding a significant lead.

March 2025: Ranking Among Century Makers

As of March 2025, Mark Williams is tenth on the all-time list of century makers, having compiled more than 600 competitive centuries during his professional career.

2025: Reached World Championship Final as Oldest Player

At the 2025 World Championship, Mark Williams, aged 50, became the oldest player to reach the final of the tournament. He became the oldest winner of a ranking event at the 2025 Xi'an Grand Prix.

2025: Reaches World Championship Final

In 2025, Mark Williams advanced to the semi-finals and overcame Trump. At age 50, he became the oldest player to reach the final of the World Championship. In the final against Zhao Xintong, he lost the match.

2025: Wins 2025 Xi'an Grand Prix

In 2025, Mark Williams won the Xi'an Grand Prix, defeating Murphy in the final, becoming the oldest player ever to win a ranking event. He also became the first player to win professional titles in his teens, 20s, 30s, 40s, and 50s.