.jpg) Hendry at the 2011Paul Hunter Classic | |
| Born | (1969-01-13)13 January 1969 (age 56) Edinburgh, Scotland |
|---|---|
| Sport country |  Scotland |
| Nickname | |
| Professional | 1985–2012, 2020–2024 |
| Highestranking | 1 (April 1990 – May 1998, May 2006 – May 2007) |
| Maximum breaks | 11 |
| Century breaks | 777 |
| Tournament wins | |
| Ranking | 36 |
| World Champion | |
Stephen Gordon Hendry (born 13 January 1969) is a Scottish former professionalsnooker player and a currentcommentator andpundit. One of the most successful players in snooker history, he turned professional in 1985, aged 16, and rose rapidly through thesnooker world rankings, reaching number four in the world by the end of his third professional season. He won his firstWorld Snooker Championship in1990, aged 21 years and 106 days, making him the sport's youngest world champion, a record he still holds. He won seven world titles between 1990 and 1999, setting a new modern-era record that stood outright untilRonnie O'Sullivan equalled it in2022. He also won theMasters six times and theUK Championship five times for a career total of 18Triple Crown tournament wins, a total exceeded only by O'Sullivan's 23. His total of 36ranking titles is second only to O'Sullivan's 41, while his nine seasons asworld number one were the most by any player under the annual ranking system used until 2010.
Hendry's five consecutive Masters titles between 1989 and 1993 and five consecutive world titles between 1992 and 1996 remain records in the modern era. His 36 consecutive victories in ranking events between March 1990 and January 1991 and his 29 consecutive wins at the Crucible between 1992 and 1997 also remain modern-era records. One of three players to have won all three Triple Crown events in a single season, he is the only player to have achieved the feat twice, in the1989–90 and1995–96 seasons. His 777career century breaks include 11maximum breaks, putting him in third place behind O'Sullivan (17) andJohn Higgins (13) for the most officially recognised maximums in professional competition. Awarded anMBE in 1994, he was twice named theBBC Scotland Sports Personality of the Year, in 1987 and 1996.
Hendry's form became less consistent after his sixth world title in 1996 and his career declined in the 2000s, his play increasingly affected by theyips. He reached the last of his nine world finals at the2002 World Championship but lost in a deciding frame toPeter Ebdon. He won his last ranking title at the2005 Malta Cup and reached his last ranking final at the2006 UK Championship, where he was again defeated by Ebdon. During the2011–12 season, he fell out of the top 16 in theworld rankings for the first time in 23 years. He qualified for the2012 World Championship, where he made his 27th consecutive Crucible appearance, but he announced his retirement from professional snooker at age 43 following a 2–13 defeat toStephen Maguire in the quarter-finals. After almost nine years in retirement, he returned to professional competition during the2020–21 season under an invitational tour card. He played sporadically on the professional tour over four seasons but secured only three wins in 20 professional matches and retired again after the2023–24 season. Hendry has also competed on theWorld Seniors Tour and has twice been a semi-finalist at theWorld Seniors Championship.
Hendry's parents, Gordon Hendry and Irene Rixson, met as teenagers in the late 1960s while working at a woollen merchant inEdinburgh.[3] Irene, who worked as a secretary, became pregnant, and she and Gordon moved into a bedroom of his grandmother's flat inSt Leonard's, Edinburgh.[3] Irene was 18 years old when she gave birth to Hendry on 13 January 1969.[3][4] The family subsequently moved toGorgie.[3] Hendry's younger brother Keith was born in 1972, and the family moved toBaberton Mains. His father was then working in the fruit and vegetable wholesale business.[3]
By the late 1970s, Hendry's father and a business partner were running threegreengrocer's shops, located inInverkeithing,Dalgety Bay, andDunfermline.[3] The family moved to a bungalow in Dalgety Bay when Hendry was nine and lived there for the next six years.[5] He attendedInverkeithing High School.[6] He started playing snooker when his parents bought him a miniature snooker table for Christmas in 1981.[7] He subsequently began playing on full-sized tables at Maloco's Snooker Hall and the Classic Snooker Centre in Dunfermline.[3][5] He made his first century break, a 102, at the Classic Snooker Centre several months after his 13th birthday in 1982.[3]
When Hendry was 15, his parents separated. Due to financial difficulties caused by his father'sproblem gambling, they had to sell their house and business interests.[3] Hendry's mother moved with her two sons to a council house in her hometown ofKirkliston, and Hendry began attendingQueensferry High School. His father moved to a small flat in nearbyBroxburn but travelled frequently with Hendry to snooker tournaments around the country.[5][3] Hendry lived in a flat inSouth Queensferry during the early part of his professional snooker career.[3]
Hendry's first tournament win was an under-16 "Stars of the Future" event at a Pontins holiday camp inPrestatyn, Wales.[8] After winning both the Scottish andBritish Under-16 Championships,[9][10] he made his first televised appearance in 1983 onJunior Pot Black, where he defeatedNick Pearce but then lost to Steve Ventham in the semi-finals.[11][12][13] In 1984, he became the youngest ever winner of the Scottish Amateur Championship.[14] At the1984 World Amateur Snooker Championship he became the youngest player ever to participate in the championship.[15] He finished sixth-placed in his qualifying group of nine participants, and did not qualify for the final stages,[16]
In February 1985, his application for professional status was accepted by theWorld Professional Billiards and Snooker Association.[17] Two months later, he retained the Scottish Amateur Championship.[18] Aged 16 years, he was then the sport's youngest professional.[7] From the age of 14 he was managed by Ron Clover, who also managed darts playerJocky Wilson, but when he was 16 Ian Doyle and Jim Marley took over his management after paying Clover £2,000.[7][19][20] Doyle, who was influenced byBarry Hearn's style of management, arranged a series of money matches against leading players for Hendry, mirroring the way that Hearn had arranged matches forSteve Davis before he turned professional.[21]
In hisdebut season as a professional, Hendry earnt his firstranking point at the1986 Classic, eliminatingDessie Sheehan,Graham Miles andSilvino Francisco before losing 4–5 toNeal Foulds.[22][23] He won theScottish Professional Championship, becoming the youngest player to win any national professional title.[10][24] He won four qualifying matches to reach the main stage of the1986 World Snooker Championship, losing 8–10 toWillie Thorne in the first round.[25][26] Aged 17 years and 3 months, he was then the youngest player to compete at the final stages of a world championship, a record he held for 26 years untilLuca Brecel made his Crucible debut in 2012 aged two months younger.[27]
In the1986–87 season, Hendry andMike Hallett reached the final of the1986 World Doubles Championship, which they lost 3–10 toSteve Davis andTony Meo,[28] Hendry reached his first ranking semi-final at theClassic but lost 3–9 toSteve Davis.[29][30] He then retained hisScottish Professional Championship title.[31] Having won three qualifying matches to reach the main stage of the1987 World Championship, he then eliminated Thorne andSteve Longworth to progress tothe quarter-finals.[32] He lost 12–13 to defending championJoe Johnson, despite coming from 1–8 and 8–12 behind to force a deciding frame.[33]
Hendry defeated Hallett to win the invitational1987 Australian Masters,[34] and was runner-up toSteve Davis at the1987 Hong Kong Masters.[35][36] During the1987–88 season, Hendry won his first ranking title, beating Taylor 10–7 in the final of theGrand Prix.[37] He and Hallett won the1987 World Doubles Championship, defeatingDennis Taylor andCliff Thorburn 12–6 in the final.[38] Hendry captured his second ranking title at theBritish Open with a 13–2 victory against Hallett in the final.[39] He also won his third consecutiveScottish Professional Championship.[40] By the end of his third professional season, he had reached number four in the world rankings and was named theBBC Scotland Sports Personality of the Year for 1987.[41] Although he failed to win a ranking title during the1988–89 season, he won theMasters on his debut, defeatingJohn Parrott 9–6 in the final.[4] He reached his first world semi-final at the1989 World Championship but lost 9–16 to the eventual champion Davis.[42]
The1989–90 season saw Hendry win four ranking titles and two notable invitational events.[43] He won his firstUK Championship, defeating Davis 16–12 in the final;[44] won his secondMasters, defeating Parrott 9–4 in the final;[45] and won his first world title at the1990 World Championship, beatingJimmy White 18–12 in the final.[46] He became the second player to win all threeTriple Crown events in the same season, after Davis had first achieved the feat two seasons earlier. Aged 21 years and 106 days, he supersededAlex Higgins as the sport's youngest world champion, a record he still holds as of 2025.[47] He also won ranking titles at theDubai Classic andAsian Open and becameworld number one for the first time at the end of the season.[48]
In the1990–91 season, Hendry became the first player to win five ranking titles in a single season.[49] He won his secondUK Championship, defeating Davis 16–15 in the final,[50] and his thirdMasters, defeating Hallett 9–8 in the final after trailing 0–7 and 2–8.[45] However, he failed to retain his world title at the1991 World Championship; he lost 11–13 toSteve James in the quarter-finals, despite having led 11–9, falling victim to theCrucible curse.[51] In the1991–92 season, he won his fourthMasters, defeating Parrott 9–4 in the final.[45] He won his second world title at the1992 World Championship, where he came from 8–14 behind against White in the final to win ten consecutive frames for an 18–14 victory.[52] He achieved his firstmaximum break in professional competition while playing Thorne in theMatchroom League.[53]
In the1992–93 season, Hendry won his fifth consecutiveMasters, beatingJames Wattana 9–5 in the final.[45] He won his third world title at the1993 World Championship, defeating White 18–5 in the final with asession to spare, having lost just 25 frames in the tournament.[54] In the1993–94 season, he reached the final of theUK Championship but lost 6–10 to 17-year-oldRonnie O'Sullivan, who won his maiden ranking title at the event.[55] Hendry reached a sixth consecutiveMasters final but lost 8–9 to his compatriotAlan McManus, his first defeat at the Masters.[56] He won his fourth world title at the1994 World Championship, clinching an 18–17 victory in the deciding frame of the final after White missed a black off the spot. It was the last time White featured in a World Championship final, having lost all six finals he contested, four of them to Hendry.[57]
In 1994, Hendry was awarded anMBE.[58][59] In the1994–95 season, he won his thirdUK Championship, defeatingKen Doherty 10–5 in the final and setting a new record for the most centuries in a professional match, with seven. This still holds the record for the most centuries in a 19-frame match as well as jointly holding the record (withJudd Trump andDing Junhui) for the most centuries in any professional contest. Hendry ended the season by winning the1995 World Championship, defeating O'Sullivan 13–8 in the quarter-finals, White 16–12 in the semi-finals, andNigel Bond 18–9 in the final to claim his fifth world title.[60]
In the1995–96 season, Hendry again won all three Triple Crown events: He defeatedPeter Ebdon 10–3 to win his fourthUK Championship, defeated O'Sullivan 10–5 to win his sixthMasters,[45] and defeated Ebdon 18–12 in the1996 World Championship final to win his sixth world title, equalling the modern-era record held byRay Reardon andSteve Davis. Hendry remains the only player to win all three Triple Crown events in two different seasons.[61][62] He was named theBBC Scotland Sports Personality of the Year for a second time in 1996.[63][64] In the1996–97 season, Hendry won his fifthUK Championship, coming from 4–8 behind to defeatJohn Higgins 10–9 in the final. In the best-of-17 Liverpool VictoriaCharity Challenge final, he led O'Sullivan 8–2 but O'Sullivan won six consecutive frames to take the match to a deciding frame. However, Hendry won the decider with a maximum break for a 9–8 victory, making him the only player to make a maximum break in the deciding frame of a final.[65] At the1997 World Championship, Hendry reached a sixth consecutive world final but lost 12–18 to Doherty, his first defeat in a world final and his first loss at the Crucible since1991. His 29 consecutive victories at the Crucible over that period remains a record.[66][67]
Hendry won only one ranking title in the1997–98 season, despite reaching two of the three Triple Crown finals. He lost theUK Championship final 6–10 to O'Sullivan. In the1998 Masters final, he led Williams 9–6, needing just one frame for victory. However, Williams took the match to a deciding frame and went on to win on a re-spotted black. At the1998 World Championship, Hendry lost 4–10 to White in the first round. After eight consecutive seasons as world number one, he fell to second place in the rankings behind the new world championJohn Higgins. In the1998–99 season, he suffered a shock 0–9 whitewash to world number 73Marcus Campbell in the first round of theUK Championship. It was then the heaviest professional defeat of Hendry's career, surpassing his 1–9 loss to Thorburn in the semi-finals of the1987 International Open. Afterwards, Hendry stated that his confidence had "drained and drained" and that he would have to go "back to the drawing board" to recover his form.[68] However, at the1999 World Championship, he defeated O'Sullivan 17–13 in the semi-finals and Williams 18–11 in the final to win his seventh and last world title at age 30. Hendry held the modern-era record of seven world titles outright for the next 23 years, until O'Sullivan equalled it in2022.[69]
In the1999–2000 season, Hendry won theBritish Open, where he made the fifth 147 break of his career, which was also the first maximum made in a ranking final. However, he suffered a surprise 7–10 defeat to debutantStuart Bingham in the first round of the2000 World Championship. In the2000–01 season, Hendry failed to win any ranking titles for the first time since the1988–89 season, reaching only one final. In the2001–02 season, he won theEuropean Open and came close to an eighth world title at the2002 World Championship, where he defeated the defending champion O'Sullivan 17–13 in the semi-finals but lost 17–18 to Ebdon in the final. This was Hendry's last appearance in a World Championship final, after featuring in nine of the 13 finals held between 1990 and 2002. He made 16 centuries during the 2002 event, a record that stood outright for the next 20 years until Williams equalled it in 2022.[70][71]
Hendry won theWelsh Open in the2002–03 season and won theBritish Open in the2003–04 season. Returning from theEuro-Asia Masters Challenge in September 2003, he had hiscue broken in the luggage hold of his international flight,[72] where players had been required to stow their cues since the11 September 2001 attacks.[73] Hendry had received the cue as a gift from his parents when he was 14 and had used it when winning all seven of his world titles. Hendry reached the semi-finals of the2004 World Championship but lost 4–17 to O'Sullivan with a session to spare, his heaviest defeat in a world semi-final. In the2004–05 season, he was runner-up at theWelsh Open, losing 8–9 to O'Sullivan. The following month, he defeated fellow ScotGraeme Dott 9–7 to win theMalta Cup, his 36th and last ranking title.[74]
Hendry regained the world number one ranking for the2005–06 season due to his consistency in reaching the latter stages of tournaments without, by his own admission, reproducing his form of old.[75] It was his ninth season as world number one, which holds the record under the annual ranking system used until 2010. The following season, Hendry took a 4–1 lead over O'Sullivan in the2006 UK Championship quarter-finals, only for O'Sullivan to unexpectedly concede the best-of-17-frame match during the sixth frame. After O'Sullivan walked out of the arena, Hendry was awarded a 9–1 win. He came from 5–7 down in the semi-finals to defeat Dott 9–7 but lost the final 6–10 to Ebdon. It was the last time Hendry reached a ranking final. Following a disappointing2007–08 season, he reached his 12th world semi-final at the2008 World Championship, surpassing Davis's previous record of 11 semi-finals. Aged 39, he was the oldest player to reach the semi-finals sinceTerry Griffiths in 1992, but he lost 6–17 to O'Sullivan with a session to spare. He lost all eight frames in the second session of the match, his first session whitewash at the Crucible.[76]
Hendry also had a poor2008–09 season, although his 10–7 win over Williams in the first round of the2009 World Championship guaranteed that he would remain in the top sixteen of the rankings for the following season. He defeated Ding 13–10 in the second round, winning his 1000th frame at the Crucible. In the quarter-finals, he made a maximum break againstShaun Murphy,[77] but lost the match 11–13.[78] Aged 40, he was at the time the oldest player to make a maximum in a ranking tournament and the second player after O'Sullivan to make more than one 147 at the Crucible. Hendry ended the season ranked 10th, the first time he had been outside the top eight since the 1987–88 season.[citation needed]
In the2009–10 season, Hendry reached the quarter-finals of theChina Open but lost 4–5 toMark Allen, despite having led 4–2. In theMasters, he lost 4–6 to Murphy in the first round. In the2010 World Championship, he lost 5–13 toMark Selby in the second round. He participated in a challenge match against Ding inBeijing but lost 6–13.
In the2010–11 season, Hendry defeated White 9–8 in the first round of the2010 UK Championship but lost 6–9 in the second round to Williams.[79] Afterward, he expressed his frustration with his form and revealed that he has been suffering from "theyips" for ten years, leaving him unable to cue through the ball and causing him to miss routine shots.[80][81] He lost 3–6 to reigning world championNeil Robertson in theMasters.[82] He made his tenth professional maximum break at theWelsh Open againstStephen Maguire but lost the match. At theChina Open he whitewashedMatthew Stevens 5–0 in the first round, before losing 2–5 to Ding in the second round.[83] At the2011 World Championship, he beatJoe Perry in a first-round decider but again lost in the second round to Selby, this time by a score of 4–13.[84]
In the2011–12 season, after losing toRobert Milkins in the first round of theShanghai Masters, Hendry fell to 21st in the world rankings, ending his 23 years in the top 16.[85][86] He missed theMasters for the first time since his 1989 debut and had to qualify to reach the main stages of subsequent ranking events.[87] He qualified for theUK Championship but lost 3–6 to Maguire in the first round.[88] He lost 1–5 toJames Wattana in theGerman Masters qualifiers, failing to reach the final stages of a ranking tournament for the first time in 15 years.[89] He qualified for theWelsh Open by whitewashingKurt Maflin 4–0 and then defeated reigning Masters championNeil Robertson 4–1 in the first round.[90][91] However, he lost 0–4 toMark Allen in the second round. After defeatingMike Dunn 5–2 in qualifying, Hendry played Robertson again in the first round of theWorld Open but lost 3–5.[92][93] Hendry defeatedYu Delu 5–1 to qualify for theChina Open,[94] where he defeatedMartin Gould 5–4 in the first round, winning on the final black.[95] He played Robertson for the third consecutive time in a ranking event but lost 3–5.[96]
Hendry ensured he would make his 27th consecutive appearance at the main stage of the2012 World Championship when he defeated Yu 10–6 in the qualifiers.[97] He made a 147 in his 10–4 first-round defeat of Bingham, his third maximum break at the Crucible and the 11th of his career. He defeated the defending champion Higgins 13–4 in the second round, his first victory over Higgins in a ranking event since 2003, to reach his 19th world quarter-final.[98] However, after losing 2–13 to Maguire in the quarter-finals, Hendry announced his retirement from professional snooker at the age of 43, citing dissatisfaction with his standard of play and difficulty balancing competitive, commercial, and personal commitments. He stated that he had decided three months earlier to retire at the end of the season.[99]
In August 2020, Hendry reached the semi-finals of theWorld Seniors Championship. The following month, citing improvements in his form and confidence, he accepted a two-year invitational tour card for the mainWorld Snooker Tour.[100] After delaying his return to competition several times during the2020–21 season,[101][102] he played his first professional match in almost nine years at the2021 Gibraltar Open, losing 1–4 toMatthew Selt in the first round.[103] At the2021 World Championship, he won his first-round qualifier 6–3 against Jimmy White,[104] but he lost 1–6 toXu Si in the second qualifying round.[105]
During the2021–22 season, Hendry competed in six ranking events between August and November 2021 but did not progress beyond the last 64 in any of them. He defeatedChris Wakelin 3–2 in the first round of the2021 British Open,[106] butGary Wilson whitewashed him 3–0 in the second round.[107] He defeatedMichael White 4–1 to qualify for the2021 English Open[108] but was whitewashed 0–4 in the first round by Wakelin, scoring just 18 points in the match.[109] He lost 0–4 toAllan Taylor in the2021 Scottish Open qualifiers,[110] 3–5 toLi Hang in theJanuary 2022 European Masters qualifiers,[111] and 2–5 toGao Yang in the2022 German Masters qualifiers.[112] After a 1–6 defeat toThepchaiya Un-Nooh in the first round of the2021 UK Championship,[113] he did not compete in any further professional events for the remainder of the season. He opted not to enter the2022 World Championship qualifiers, stating that he had not been practising enough to be competitive, but confirmed that he intended to continue on the tour.[114][115]
In April 2022, Hendry's invitational tour card was renewed for a further two seasons,[116] despite complaints from some players and concerns from snooker's governing body about his limited participation on the tour.[117] His2022–23 season began with a 0–5 whitewash byMark Joyce in qualifying for the2022 European Masters and a 1–4 defeat toZhang Anda in qualifying for the2022 British Open.[118][119] He withdrew from the2022 Northern Ireland Open and also withdrew from the2022 UK Championship when the qualifying schedule conflicted with his broadcasting work forITV at the2022 Champion of Champions.[120][121][122] He played his third professional match of the season in the2023 German Masters qualifiers, where he was whitewashed 0–5 by Matthew Stevens.[123] At the2023 World Championship, he lost 4–10 in the first qualifying round to his ex-wife's nephewJames Cahill, after which he said he still had "a very distant dream" that he would one day compete at the Crucible again.[124]
Hendry's2023–24 season began with a 2–4 defeat toMuhammad Asif in qualifying for the2023 British Open.[125] After losing 0–4 toFergal O'Brien in qualifying for the2023 English Open,[126] Hendry stated in a podcast interview that he was considering retiring again, calling his performances "embarrassing" and acknowledging that he had not been practicing for events.[127] He ledTien Pengfei 2–0 in the2023 International Championship qualifiers but lost the match 3–6.[128] He lost 2–4 to Matthew Stevens in qualifying for the2023 Northern Ireland Open[129] and lost by the same score toRoss Muir in qualifying for the2024 Welsh Open.[130] He opted not to enter the2024 World Snooker Championship qualifiers, meaning that he finished a second consecutive season without a professional win.[131] In June 2024, he declined the World Snooker Tour's offer to renew his invitational tour card for a further two seasons. This marked his second retirement from professional snooker. "I know the game inside out, I still know all the shots, but unfortunately the body is not performing like my brain wants it to," he stated. He had won just three of the 20 professional matches he played since returning to the tour.[132][133]
At the time of his initial retirement in 2012, Hendry was the most successful player in professional snooker history. He had earned almost £9 million in prize money, more than any other player. He held records for the mostworld titles in the modern era (7), the mostranking titles (36), the mostTriple Crown titles (18), the mostcenturies in professional competition (775), and (jointly with O'Sullivan) the mostmaximum breaks (11).[134][135][136] However, O'Sullivan, as of 2024, has equalled Hendry's record of 7 world titles, won 41 ranking titles and 23 Triple Crown titles, and made over 1,200 centuries in professional competition. John Higgins, Neil Robertson, Mark Selby, and Judd Trump have also surpassed Hendry in terms of career century breaks.[137] O'Sullivan now holds the record for the most maximum breaks, with 17, while Higgins is second with 13.[138]
Dennis Taylor and Ray Reardon have argued that O'Sullivan has superseded Hendry as the sport's greatest player.[139][140] In 2005, John Higgins, who competed with both players at their respective peaks, proclaimed O'Sullivan as "the best that's ever played the game".[141] Steve Davis considers O'Sullivan to be the best player but Hendry the greatest winner.[142] White also regards O'Sullivan as the best player but considers Davis his toughest opponent.[143] Del Hill, a snooker coach who has worked with some of the game's top players, considers O'Sullivan the best player "without a shadow of a doubt" but as of 2015 believed that O'Sullivan had "under-achieved" next to Hendry.[144]Sean Ingle, chief sports journalist forThe Guardian, has continued to make the case for Hendry as the sport's greatest player.[145]
In 2022, O'Sullivan dismissed the suggestion that he is the greatest player and identified Hendry as the greatest due to his having dominated the sport in the 1990s.[146] Hendry himself has identified O'Sullivan as the greatest player he has played against but considers he would triumph in a match if both players played at their peak.[147] After O'Sullivan equalled Hendry's seven world titles in 2022, each player paid tribute to the other, with O'Sullivan saying: "[Hendry] used to play six hours a day and didn't miss a ball. There is no one dominating the sport like he did, likeTiger Woods did". Hendry said of O'Sullivan during the 2022 World Championship: "You cannot play better snooker than that. He is just supreme in all departments".[148]
At age 16, Hendry began dating 17-year-old Amanda Tart. Despite strong disapproval from his then-manager Doyle, who feared that a girlfriend would distract him from snooker, the two continued to see each other.[3] They married on 30 June 1995, shortly after his fifth world title win.[149] Their son Blaine was born the following year. The couple struggled to have more children and underwent multipleIVF procedures. In 2003, they had astillborn son. They subsequently had another son, Carter, born in 2004.[150] Amanda's sister Maria, a leading female snooker player in the 1980s and 1990s, married Patrick Cahill; their sonJames Cahill has also played snooker professionally.[151][152]
In the 2010s, Hendry underwent financial struggles and divorce. In August 2011,HM Revenue and Customs successfully applied toGlasgow Sheriff Court to liquidate the assets of Stephen Hendry Snooker Ltd, the company set up to manage his sponsorships and promotion, following its failure to pay an £85,000 tax bill.[153] In 2014, two years after his initial retirement, Hendry—then aged 45—left his wife to pursue a relationship with 26-year-old children's entertainer and actress Lauren Thundow, whom he met while she was selling merchandise atSnooker Legends exhibition events.[154][155][156] He began living with Thundow in the south of England.[157] Amanda Hendry subsequently accused him of cheating on her with a woman half his age, of leaving her "destitute", and of rarely visiting his children.[158] During divorce proceedings, accountants failed to uncover significant wealth held by Hendry; his wife said she did not know what had happened to his tournament winnings, commenting "we never spent any of it".[158] In 2021, she sold the couple's former home inAuchterarder, which she had received as part of their divorce settlement, for around £875,000.[159]
Hendry's father Gordon died from cancer in 2017 at age 68.[160] In 2018, he published his autobiography,Me and the Table.[11] In 2022, he launched aYouTube channel, Stephen Hendry's Cue Tips, which presents instructional content as well as conversations over frames of snooker with players and other personalities.[161] He has a single-figuregolf handicap and enjoys poker and football; he supports Scottish teamHeart of Midlothian.[162]
| Tournament | 1985/ 86 | 1986/ 87 | 1987/ 88 | 1988/ 89 | 1989/ 90 | 1990/ 91 | 1991/ 92 | 1992/ 93 | 1993/ 94 | 1994/ 95 | 1995/ 96 | 1996/ 97 | 1997/ 98 | 1998/ 99 | 1999/ 00 | 2000/ 01 | 2001/ 02 | 2002/ 03 | 2003/ 04 | 2004/ 05 | 2005/ 06 | 2006/ 07 | 2007/ 08 | 2008/ 09 | 2009/ 10 | 2010/ 11 | 2011/ 12 | 2020/ 21 | 2021/ 22 | 2022/ 23 | 2023/ 24 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ranking[163][nb 1] | [nb 2] | 51 | 23 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 10 | 11 | 16 | [nb 3] | 88 | [nb 3] | 102 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ranking tournaments | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Championship League | Tournament Not Held | Non-Ranking Event | A | A | A | A | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| European Masters[nb 4] | Not Held | 3R | F | 3R | 3R | F | W | W | 2R | QF | NH | QF | Not Held | W | F | 2R | W | QF | QF | NR | Tournament Not Held | A | LQ | LQ | A | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| British Open | LQ | LQ | W | 3R | 1R | W | QF | SF | SF | QF | 3R | F | F | QF | W | QF | 2R | 2R | W | QF | Tournament Not Held | 2R | LQ | LQ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| English Open | Tournament Not Held | A | 1R | A | LQ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northern Ireland Open | Tournament Not Held | A | A | WD | LQ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International Championship | Tournament Not Held | LQ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| UK Championship | LQ | 1R | 1R | F | W | W | SF | QF | F | W | W | W | F | 1R | SF | SF | QF | QF | F | 1R | SF | F | 1R | 1R | 2R | 2R | 1R | A | 1R | WD | A | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Scottish Open[nb 5] | LQ | 2R | SF | 3R | F | Not Held | W | QF | 1R | 2R | W | 3R | W | 3R | 2R | QF | 3R | QF | Tournament Not Held | A | LQ | A | A | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| German Masters[nb 6] | Tournament Not Held | SF | QF | QF | NR | Tournament Not Held | 2R | LQ | A | LQ | LQ | A | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Welsh Open | Tournament Not Held | W | 3R | QF | QF | 3R | W | 1R | F | 1R | QF | SF | W | QF | F | 1R | 2R | SF | 1R | 2R | 2R | 2R | A | A | A | LQ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Open[nb 7] | LQ | QF | W | 2R | 3R | W | W | 1R | 2R | QF | W | 1R | 1R | QF | 3R | 2R | SF | 3R | 2R | 3R | SF | RR | RR | 2R | 2R | 3R | 1R | Not Held | WD | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Championship | 1R | QF | 2R | SF | W | QF | W | W | W | W | W | F | 1R | W | 1R | QF | F | QF | SF | QF | 1R | 2R | SF | QF | 2R | 2R | QF | LQ | A | LQ | A | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Non-ranking tournaments | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Masters | A | A | A | W | W | W | W | W | F | QF | W | QF | F | 1R | QF | SF | QF | F | 1R | QF | 1R | SF | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | A | A | A | A | A | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Championship League | Tournament Not Held | A | RR | RR | RR | RR | A | A | A | A | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Former ranking tournaments | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Canadian Masters | Non-Ranking Event | SF | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Classic | 2R | SF | QF | QF | 2R | F | F | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dubai Classic[nb 8] | Not Held | NR | W | W | 1R | F | W | SF | SF | 2R | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Malta Grand Prix | Tournament Not Held | Non-Ranking Event | QF | NR | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Thailand Masters[nb 9] | Non-Ranking | Not Held | W | W | 2R | 3R | 1R | 2R | SF | SF | W | QF | F | F | QF | NR | Tournament Not Held | NR | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Irish Masters | Non-Ranking Event | 2R | 1R | QF | NH | NR | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northern Ireland Trophy | Tournament Not Held | NR | 2R | 2R | 1R | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bahrain Championship | Tournament Not Held | SF | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Australian Goldfields Open[nb 10] | Non-Ranking Event | NH | QF | Tournament Not Held | Non-Ranking | Tournament Not Held | 2R | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shanghai Masters | Tournament Not Held | 2R | 1R | 2R | 1R | 1R | Not Held | NR | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| China Open[nb 11] | Tournament Not Held | NR | SF | SF | SF | 2R | Not Held | F | QF | 1R | 1R | QF | QF | 2R | 2R | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gibraltar Open | Tournament Not Held | 1R | A | Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Former non-ranking tournaments | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tokyo Masters | Not Held | QF | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fosters Professional[nb 12] | A | A | SF | F | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| New Zealand Masters | Not Held | W | SF | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Norwich Union Grand Prix | Not Held | A | F | SF | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Centenary Challenge | Tournament Not Held | W | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Masters | Tournament Not Held | 2R | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| London Masters | Not Held | W | W | F | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Thailand Masters[nb 9] | A | A | Not Held | Ranking | F | Ranking Event | NR | Tournament Not Held | NR | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Indian Challenge | Tournament Not Held | W | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Belgian Challenge | Tournament Not Held | F | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kent Classic | NH | A | A | A | A | A | NH | F | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Matchplay | Not Held | SF | SF | F | SF | QF | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| European Challenge | Tournament Not Held | W | W | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Top Rank Classic | Tournament Not Held | W | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Australian Goldfields Open[nb 10] | A | A | W | NH | R | Tournament Not Held | A | A | Tournament Not Held | R | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Belgian Masters | Tournament Not Held | SF | A | SF | Not Held | A | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| China International[nb 11] | Tournament Not Held | QF | Ranking Event | Not Held | Ranking Event | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Super Challenge | Tournament Not Held | F | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Champions Super League | Tournament Not Held | W | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| German Masters[nb 6] | Tournament Not Held | Ranking Event | QF | Tournament Not Held | Ranking Event | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pontins Professional | SF | QF | SF | A | W | A | A | QF | A | A | A | A | A | A | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Millennium Cup | Tournament Not Held | SF | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Malta Grand Prix | Tournament Not Held | A | A | A | A | W | R | W | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Champions Cup[nb 13] | Tournament Not Held | W | 1R | W | SF | QF | W | SF | RR | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Scottish Masters | A | QF | QF | NH | W | W | QF | QF | QF | F | W | QF | QF | SF | SF | F | QF | SF | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Champions v Asia Stars | Tournament Not Held | RR | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northern Ireland Trophy | Tournament Not Held | F | Ranking Event | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Irish Masters | A | A | A | F | QF | QF | W | SF | QF | F | QF | W | QF | W | F | F | QF | Ranking Event | NH | QF | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Euro-Asia Masters Challenge | Tournament Not Held | SF | RR | Not Held | RR | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pot Black | A | Tournament Not Held | F | A | SF | Tournament Not Held | QF | QF | SF | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Malta Cup[nb 4] | Not Held | Ranking Event | NH | R | Not Held | Ranking Event | RR | Tournament Not Held | Ranking Event | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Huangshan Cup | Tournament Not Held | QF | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Legends of Snooker | Tournament Not Held | W | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Beijing International Challenge | Tournament Not Held | SF | RR | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hainan Classic | Tournament Not Held | RR | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Scottish Professional Championship | W | W | W | A | Tournament Not Held | SF | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wuxi Classic[nb 14] | Tournament Not Held | A | RR | QF | A | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Brazil Masters | Tournament Not Held | SF | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Premier League[nb 15] | NH | A | F | RR | F | W | W | A | W | W | SF | F | SF | RR | W | F | A | A | W | SF | F | RR | SF | SF | RR | A | A | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shoot Out | Tournament Not Held | 1R | Tournament Not Held | 1R | 2R | Ranking Event | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hong Kong Masters[nb 16] | A | A | F | A | NH | SF | W | Tournament Not Held | A | NH | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Performance table legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LQ | lost in the qualifying draw | #R | lost in the early rounds of the tournament (WR = Wildcard round, RR = Round robin) | QF | lost in the quarter-finals |
| SF | lost in the semi–finals | F | lost in the final | W | won the tournament |
| DNQ | did not qualify for the tournament | A | did not participate in the tournament | WD | withdrew from the tournament |
| NH / Not Held | event was not held. | |||
| NR / Non-Ranking Event | event is/was no longer a ranking event. | |||
| R / Ranking Event | event is/was a ranking event. | |||
| MR / Minor-Ranking Event | event is/was a minor-ranking event. | |||
| Legend |
|---|
| World Championship (7–2) |
| UK Championship (5–5) |
| Other (24–14) |
* It was decided by aggregate score over five frames.
** There was no play-off. Title decided on league table only.
| Outcome | No. | Year | Championship | Team/partner | Opponent(s) in the final | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runner-up | 1. | 1986 | World Doubles Championship |  Mike Hallett | Steve DavisTony Meo | 3–12 |
| Winner | 1. | 1987 | World Doubles Championship | Mike Hallett |  Cliff Thorburn Dennis Taylor | 12–8 |
| Winner | 2. | 1991 | World Masters Men's Doubles | Mike Hallett | Brady GollanJim Wych | 8–5 |
| Runner-up | 2. | 1991 | World Mixed Doubles Championship | Stacey Hillyard | Steve DavisAllison Fisher | 4–5 |
| Winner | 3. | 1996 | World Cup | Scotland |  Ireland | 10–7 |
| Runner-up | 3. | 1999 | Nations Cup | Scotland |  Wales | 4–6 |
| Winner | 4. | 2001 | Nations Cup | Scotland | Ireland | 6–2 |
| Winner | 5. | 2007 | Euro-Asia Team Challenge |  Europe | TeamAsia | 5–3 |
| Outcome | No. | Year | Championship | Opponent in the final | Score | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | 1. | 1982 | Pontins Star of the Future | Paul Hefford (ENG) | 2–0 | [165] |
| Winner | 1. | 1983 | Scottish Under-16 Championship | [166] | ||
| Winner | 2. | 1983 | British Junior Championship | Nick Pearce (ENG) | 3–0 | [167] |
| Winner | 3. | 1984 | Scottish Amateur Championship | David Sneddon (SCO) | 9–8 | [168] |
| Winner | 4. | 1985 | Scottish Amateur Championship(2) | Jim McNellan (SCO) | 9–6 | [168] |
| Award | Year | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) | 1993 | [169] |
| BBC Scotland Sports Personality of the Year | 1987, 1996 | [41][63] |
| WPBSA Player of the Year | 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999 | [170] |
| WPBSA Young Player of the Year | 1985, 1987, 1988 | [171][172][173] |
| WPBSA Performance of the Year[a] | 1995 | [174][175] |
| World Snooker Hall of Fame | 2011 | [176] |
Books
Current number one is marked in italic. |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
