‘Slight wardrobe malfunction here’ – Trump needs help from referee as chalk gets stuck in pocket
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What has gone wrong with Judd Trump?
Just typing that sentence feels absurd. A year ago, it would have been unthinkable.
Yet the fact remains that Trump, the winner of 26 titles in the last seven years, has gone the whole of 2025 without claiming a trophy. The UK Championship is his last chance, otherwise this will be the first year since 2013 that he has failed to win a tournament.
Some perspective: Trump remains world No. 1 by a large margin. He has reached three finals this year, losing deciders to Kyren Wilson at the Players Championship and Jack Lisowski at the Northern Ireland Open.
Last season, he made a record 107 centuries and earned an unprecedented £1.68 million in prize money. He has already pocketed £286,000 during this supposedly disappointing campaign. He lives a nice life in Dubai and most players would be more than happy with his current predicament.
But we judge the best players by the highest standards. This is also how they judge themselves. The fact that Trump said after his recent defeat to Mark Selby in the Champion of Champions final that he knew halfway through the match that he could not win is a concern. It feels like a crisis of confidence.
The root of this unexpected malaise is his decision to change the cue which helped him become the most consistent winner of recent times. Trump felt he needed more power, but in fact he has lost accuracy. His long potting, for so long his most potent weapon, is less reliable. He also experimented with a titanium ferrule, replacing the brass one, but has struggled to make the adjustment.
Trump has also called out what he believes to be below par conditions, the heavy cloths affecting shots played with side, leading to confusion as to how the cue ball is reacting. His regular routine in Dubai has also suffered from his brother, Jack, experiencing visa issues. The pair have worked well as a team since 2018, but Trump has found it harder flying solo.
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Perhaps his biggest problem is much simpler: there are so many really good players around now. All 11 tournaments so far this season have been won by someone different, demonstrating a strength in depth on tour that did not exist in previous times.
To most observers, Trump was in a good place before changing his cue. To him, it was a risk, but also an opportunity. The fact that he was looking for improvements shows that he has not rested on his laurels. It smarted losing in three finals last season to Wilson and just missing out on the World Championship final when Mark Williams denied him 17-14 in the semis at the Crucible.
He clearly felt he needed an extra edge to make his game even more formidable, but managing a sporting career can feel like a game of Jenga – you pull out one piece and the whole thing is in danger of collapse.
Trump rose quickly, cutting a swathe through the junior game before turning professional at 16 during a period in which there were few tournaments. It took six years for him to win a ranking title, but then suddenly he was in the world final at 21 and a star was born.
He was averaging a title a year by 2018, a respectable enough achievement but the potential was there for much more. When Jack came on board in November 2018, the extra work and focus began to pay off immediately and Trump ended the season as world and Masters champion.
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The following year he won a record six ranking titles and the multiple successes have continued ever since.
He started last season by winning three big titles, in Shanghai, Riyadh and York, before a less successful second half of the campaign caused a rethink.
How does Trump end title drought?
Clearly, finding the right cue is imperative. Trump has to feel comfortable and confident with his equipment, but he needs to be careful he does not end up in a spiral of chopping and changing cues every few events, something which has caused other players to suffer. Going back to the previous one would not be a backward step. He played much better when he used it recently in the Riyadh invitation event, where he reached the semi-finals.
But it is also a mental challenge. Trump did not take winning for granted, but it did become a state of mind.
Now, he is having to question his own game, his approach, his decisions. It is uncomfortable and, for Trump, unusual to be suddenly confronting these emotions.
The good news, unlike when he turned professional, is that there are so many tournaments now that a successful week never feels that far away. It is not as if there is a long period between events for doubts to fester.
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Trump’s determination cannot be questioned. Quiet, polite and pleasant he may be, but he hates losing, hates seeing his rivals walking off with trophies.
It feels like this inner steel is now being challenged like never before. One good week in York and it’s all forgotten. An early exit, however, and the pressure will be well and truly on when he returns to the baize in 2026.
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Watch and stream the 2025/26 snooker season, including the UK Championship, live on TNT Sports and discovery+
