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Northern Ireland’s Mark Allen has expressed his disappointment with the lack of recognition he received after briefly becoming the world number one in snooker earlier this year. The 38-year-old reached the top spot in May, but is now ranked third, with Judd Trump currently leading the rankings.
Allen described his experience as “anti-climactic” and felt he was given “very poor coverage” by both the sport’s governing body and local media. “It wasn’t really enjoyable if I’m honest. Even turning up at events and I wasn’t on the main table all the time,” Allen said. He added that he believes World Snooker favors certain players, stating, “I just feel like World Snooker have their favourites and that’s it.”
In response, the World Snooker Tour (WST) defended their coverage, saying, “We feel that we covered Mark’s rise to world number one positively,” noting that they had sent a crew to Antrim to interview him following his achievement. WST also emphasized that they do not prioritize specific players and aim to provide equal promotion for all athletes.
Despite his frustration, Allen is determined to reclaim the top spot. “Judd [Trump] has been winning everything lately,” he said, “but I want to keep enjoying my snooker, keep winning matches, and hopefully I’ll get back there soon.”
For Allen, the ultimate goal remains winning the World Championship. He begins his quest for a third Northern Ireland Open title on Monday, but his sights are set on a first Crucible triumph to cap off a career that already includes victories at the Masters, UK Championship, and Champion of Champions.
“The ultimate goal is to be world champion,” Allen said. “That’s the only thing that would raise my CV to the next level. I’d be very disappointed if I didn’t cross that off my list.” With 20 professional titles to his name, Allen knows the challenge that lies ahead but remains resolute in his pursuit of snooker’s most prestigious prize.
