Judd Trump has returned to the United Kingdom as he competes at the Tour Championship in Manchester. The snooker star admitted earlier this month he’d been made essentially homeless after fleeing Dubai.
The World No. 1 has returned to British soil for the ranking event, which is the final Players Series competition of the season. The total prize pot for the tournament is £500,000, with a hefty £150,000 as the winner’s prize. Trump’s participation comes not long after he admitted at the World Open in China that due to the escalating conflict in the Middle East, he had been made fundamentally homeless with his living situation up in the air.
Iran continues to retaliate after strikes from the United States and Israel ignited a state-level war. The Persian Gulf is still being impacted, with the interception of 16 ballistic missiles and 42 drones from Iranian-aligned forces confirmed on Sunday alone. Most strikes are neutralised mid-air, but fragments and debris continue to cause damage to residential areas.
Dubai International Airport also sustained damage to one of its terminals and a fire broke out at Jebel Ali Port this month. In light of the conflict, Trump admitted he was forced to temporarily relocate from his home in the United Arab Emirates, leaving him effectively homeless. Trump left the UK in early 2024 and would split his time between Dubai and Hong Kong.
Speaking at the World Open, he said: “I had to leave [Dubai] so we went to Bangkok. It’s a bit up in the air at the moment. I don’t really think I can go back, just in case I get stuck there. Just kind of looking for somewhere else to live.
“At the moment I’ll just base myself in Bangkok. There’s some good practice there and I’ve been very well looked after. It’s just all a bit play-it-day-by-day. My brother was stuck in Dubai for a little bit so that wasn’t good. Luckily he’s got out now and hopefully things turn around. I managed to practise in Thailand and dedicate myself like I normally would.
“Just trying to make the best of a bad situation. It’s just difficult at the moment because you don’t know where I’m going to be living. Every day is different. Just living in a hotel for the last few weeks. It’s not nice to be not at home, not knowing what you’re going to do. I don’t know what I’m going to do after this and stuff like that. Away from the table, just take the positives.”
After the Tour Championship has finished, the World Snooker Championship at the Crucible will follow. However, Trump is unsure where he will stay in the build-up to the Sheffield showpiece. He said: “I mean, I’m very limited on time in the UK so it can’t really be the UK. Probably Bangkok.
“It just gets a little bit more difficult because with this tournament being in China it was easier to navigate. Being close by and being very close to the time zone. It gets more difficult when I’m going back to the UK for the next tournament and the Worlds. I don’t really know where I’m going to be at that point.”