World's best snooker players head to Essex - but why Brentwood?

Lewis Adams

East of England

15 September 2025

The world's best snooker players are heading to Essex as the English Open action heats up.

Big names are fighting it out for the £100,000 jackpot handed to the winner at the Brentwood Centre on Sunday.

But a notable absence is Ronnie O'Sullivan, who withdrew from the tournament despite it being just down the road from his home in Chingford.

What is the English Open - and who are the big names to look out for?

Why Brentwood?

The English Open has been ever-present on the snooker calendar since 2016.

It is the fourth ranking event of the 2025-26 season and got under way on Thursday.

Monday marks the first day the seeded players join the action.

The competition was staged in Manchester, Barnsley, Milton Keynes and Crawley, before finding a home in Brentwood in 2022.

World Snooker Tour chairman Steve Dawson suggested Essex felt right due to its deep roots in the game.

"Snooker has so much history in Essex and the county has produced some of the best players of all time," he said.

"If the local fans continue to support this event then Brentwood could become the long-term home of the English Open."

Famous players from Essex over the years have included Basildon-based Stuart Bingham, Ali Carter, from Colchester, and Matthew Selt, from Chelmsford.

Snooker promoter Barry Hearn, whose Matchroom headquarters are in Brentwood, may also have had a say in bringing the sport closer to home.

"There is a lot of support for sport and people want to watch things in Essex," he said ahead of the first Brentwood Centre-hosted tournament in 2022.

"I have to say I'm impressed with the support snooker's getting.

"It's really quite nice to have [an event] on my doorstep. I'm being lazy as I get older, I can go and watch, I can pop in when I feel like it."

Among the stellar cast is reigning champion Neil Robertson, who is the most decorated contestant in the tournament's history.

The Australian will be looking to write his name in snooker folklore as the first person to ever defend their English Open title.

However, he faces stiff competition up against names including world champion Zhao Xintong and world number one Judd Trump.

O'Sullivan has not given a reason for his withdrawal, but the Rocket previously said he would always prioritise his health and wellbeing.

Kyren Wilson, recently crowned the Shanghai Masters champion, is hoping to make inroads towards overtaking Trump at the top of the rankings.

And Xiao Guodong, who won the last stop on the World Snooker Tour, is also among the elite players heading to the table.

BBC Essex will be hosting a special edition of its Sport Extra programme live from the Brentwood Centre on Monday evening.

The radio station will also broadcast Framed: The Snooker Podcast on Tuesday.

Tickets information on how to watch the matches at the Brentwood Centre is available here, external.

Do you have a story suggestion for Essex?