The Greatest of All Time conversation in snooker is an interesting one.
Some will say that Alex Higgins is the greatest to ever pick up a cue due to his raw ability. Others will point towards Steve Davis as the best due to his dominance in the 1980s.
Stephen Hendry is another popular answer to this question. The seven-time world champion is the most successful player of the 1990s and he’s called The King of The Crucible for a reason.
However, speaking on the Club 501 Podcast, Mark Williams has claimed that there are currently two players on the World Snooker Tour who are better than Hendry, claiming that his close rivals, John Higgins and Ronnie O’Sullivan are the two best players ever.
Mark Williams names the two greatest players ever
Williams shared his verdict on who the best players ever are.
“John Higgins and Ronnie are two of the best players ever. They would come through any system to be fair, and I’m just chugging behind them,” Williams said.
“Ronnie O’Sullivan and John Higgins are the two best players. I’d put those two ahead of Stephen Hendry.
“Would you? Have you spoken to Stephen about this?” The host asked.
“Yeah. He doesn’t like it, but, tough. I know Hendry has won seven world titles and the standard he was winning at isn’t as good as it is now at the top,” Williams added.
“They’re still winning tournaments, the three of us are still in the top 16, me and Ronnie are in the top six.”
O’Sullivan and Higgins’ longevity is unparalleled
While Hendry may have won just as many titles as O’Sullivan and more than Higgins, you can’t compare the three players when it comes to longevity.
Hendry was out of the World Championship picture come the turn of the millennium, while Higgins and O’Sullivan remain contenders to this day.
Higgins and O’Sullivan have both won ranking titles in four different decades, and they’re still to this day two of the best in the world.
In terms of natural ability and longevity, The Rocket and The Wizard of Wishaw have to be considered two of the greatest of all-time.