Judd Trump has shrugged off comparisons with Ronnie O’Sullivan after clinching his fifth Triple Crown title by winning the 2024 UK Championship on Sunday evening. The world No. 1 edged Barry Hawkins 10-8 in a thrilling final to earn what was also the second UK Championship crown and 30th ranking title of his glittering professional career.
Trump has been mentioned in the same breath as O’Sullivan – widely regarded as the greatest snooker player of all time – increasingly more often while he’s filled his trophy cabinet.
Winning all three Triple Crown titles in a single season – one of the greatest feats a snooker player can achieve – is now in his sights ahead of the Masters and World Snooker Championship.
Only Stephen Hendry, Steve Davis and Mark Williams can boast of that achievement. However, O’Sullivan’s incredible tally of 23 Triple Crown successes remains untouched.
Trump has previously been criticized for falling short in snooker’s most illustrious events. Yet, his latest moment of glory has once more sparked comparisons with the Rocket.
However, the 35-year-old has shut down that narrative, making it clear that he is blazing his own legendary legacy in the sport.
“I’m not comparing myself to Ronnie,” Trump told Sportsboom.com.
“I already set the record of winning six events in a season. That’s very special to me. I think the only thing bigger than that would be to win all three Triple Crowns in a season.”
Trump followed it up by alluding to his belief that the current era of snooker is the “hardest by a mile” in response to why he doesn’t have more Triple Crown titles.
He doubled down on his pride in his own achievements, adding: “In terms of how hard it is to win six events, I’d put that up there with extremely difficult because no one else has done it.
“Three Triple Crowns [in the same season] would be the best achievement you can get, I think, in snooker.
“But to be the record holder after all these years, most titles [in a single year], is also special.”
Despite dodging comparisons to O’Sullivan, Trump used another icon, Mark Selby, as an example of just how difficult it is to win tournaments in the current game.
“In terms of people struggling to win major events, I think if you look at the likes of Mark Selby over the last five years, six years, and how amazing of a player he is, even he’s been struggling to win the odd event here and there,” Trump explained.
“I’ve been able to win 20, 25 events in that time. I’m always going to be compared to Ronnie and whoever, but I think the time’s changed. I think it’s even harder now to win Triple Crown.”