World number one Judd Trump and snooker legend Ronnie O’Sullivan have been handed challenging draws as they begin their campaigns at the 2025 UK Championship, the first Triple Crown event of the season. The prestigious tournament takes place at York Barbican from 29 November to 7 December and offers a top prize of £250,000.

Judd Trump Begins Title Defence Against Stephen Maguire

Judd Trump, who has yet to win a title in 2025, will start his UK Championship defence against experienced Scot Stephen Maguire in the last-32 stage on Saturday. Maguire is a former UK champion, lifting the trophy in 2004 and reaching the finals in 2007 and 2019, making him a formidable opponent for Trump.

Trump, who has won two of his four UK Championship finals to date, will be keen to kickstart his season with a strong performance as he looks to add another major title to his collection.

Ronnie O’Sullivan Faces Zhou Yuelong

Eight-time UK Championship winner Ronnie O’Sullivan, known as “The Rocket”, will open his campaign against China’s Zhou Yuelong on Tuesday. O’Sullivan, who turns 50 on the day of the quarter-finals, has won all seven of his previous encounters with the world number 29, who reached the final of the English Open earlier this season.

O’Sullivan remains a firm favourite to progress deep into the tournament, but Zhou will be looking to cause an upset in the early rounds.

Other Key Matches in the Last 32

The tournament features a star-studded lineup with several intriguing clashes:

• Current world champion Zhao Xintong faces Long Zehuang on Monday.
• Kyren Wilson, 2024 Crucible champion, takes on top qualifier Elliot Slessor.
• Mark Allen meets Scott Donaldson, who stunned Stuart Bingham with a remarkable comeback from 5-0 down in qualifying.
• John Higgins is drawn against Ben Woollaston.
• Mark Selby plays Lei Peifan, while Shaun Murphy meets Lyu Haotian.

Here is the complete UK Championship last-32 draw:

• Judd Trump v Stephen Maguire
• Si Jiahui v Ryan Day
• Ding Junhui v Xu Si
• Mark Allen v Scott Donaldson
• Mark Williams v David Gilbert
• Xiao Guodong v Pang Junxu
• Wu Yize v Michael Holt
• Neil Robertson v Julien Leclercq
• Kyren Wilson v Elliot Slessor
• Barry Hawkins v David Lilley
• Mark Selby v Lei Peifan
• Ronnie O’Sullivan v Zhou Yuelong
• John Higgins v Ben Woollaston
• Shaun Murphy v Lyu Haotian
• Gary Wilson v Zhang Anda
• Zhao Xintong v Long Zehuang

What’s at Stake

The UK Championship is one of snooker’s Triple Crown events, alongside the World Championship and the Masters, making it a crucial tournament for world ranking points and prestige. With top players in strong form, fans can expect high-quality snooker and potentially dramatic early-round upsets.

Trump and O’Sullivan, two of the biggest names in the sport, will be closely watched as they attempt to navigate tricky opening matches and build momentum toward the later stages of the competition.