Stephen Gordon Hendry (born 13 January 1969) is a Scottish retired professional
snooker
Snooker (pronounced , ) is a cue sport played on a rectangular Billiard table#Snooker and English billiards tables, billiards table covered with a green cloth called baize, with six Billiard table#Pockets 2, pockets: one at each corner and ...
player and a current
commentator and
pundit
A pundit is a person who offers opinion in an authoritative manner on a particular subject area (typically politics, the social sciences, technology or sport), usually through the mass media. The term pundit describes both women and men, altho ...
. One of the most successful players in snooker history, he turned professional in 1985, aged 16, and rose rapidly through the
snooker world rankings
The snooker world rankings are the official system of ranking professional snooker players to determine their qualification and seeding for events on the World Snooker Tour and other tournaments, as well as their future professional status on th ...
, reaching number four in the world by the end of his third professional season. He won his first
World Snooker Championship
The World Snooker Championship, or simply known as the World Championship, is the longest-running and most prestigious tournament in professional snooker. It is also the richest event to date with a total prize money of £2,395,000, including ...
in
1990
Important events of 1990 include the Reunification of Germany and the unification of Yemen, the formal beginning of the Human Genome Project (finished in 2003), the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, the separation of Namibia from South ...
, 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 until
Ronnie O'Sullivan
Ronald Antonio O'Sullivan (born 5 December 1975) is an English professional snooker player. Widely recognised as one of the most talented and accomplished players in snooker history, he has won the World Snooker Championship seven times, a m ...
equalled it in
2022
The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...
. He also won the
Masters six times and the
UK Championship
The UK Championship is a professional ranking snooker tournament. It is one of snooker's prestigious Triple Crown events, along with the World Championship and the Masters. It is usually held at the Barbican in York, England. Ronnie O'Sull ...
five times for a career total of 18
Triple Crown tournament wins, a total exceeded only by O'Sullivan's 23. His total of 36
ranking titles is second only to O'Sullivan's 41, while his nine seasons as
world 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 the
1989–90 and
1995–96 seasons. His 777
career century breaks include 11
maximum break
A maximum break (also known as a maximum, a 147, or orally, a onefourseven) is the highest possible in snooker in normal circumstances and is a special type of . A player compiles a maximum break by potting all 15 with 15 for 120 points, fo ...
s, putting him in third place behind O'Sullivan (15) and
John Higgins (13) for the most officially recognised maximums in professional competition. Awarded an
MBE in 1994, he was twice named the
BBC 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 the
yips. He reached the last of his nine world finals at the
2002 World Championship but lost in a deciding frame to
Peter Ebdon. He won his last ranking title at the
2005 Malta Cup and reached his last ranking final at the
2006 UK Championship, where he was again defeated by Ebdon. During the
2011–12 season, he fell out of the top 16 in the
world rankings for the first time in 23 years. He qualified for the
2012 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 to
Stephen Maguire in the quarter-finals. After almost nine years in retirement, he returned to professional competition during the
2020–21 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 the
2023–24 season. Hendry has also competed on the
World Seniors Tour and has twice been a semi-finalist at the
World Seniors Championship
The World Seniors Championship is an invitational seniors snooker tournament which has been played under different formats. As of 2020 the minimum age is 40, but it was 45 in 2011 and 2012.
History
The event was first held in 1991 with 16 p ...
.
Early life
Hendry's parents, Gordon Hendry and Irene Rixson, met as teenagers in the late 1960s while working at a woollen merchant in
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...
. Irene, who worked as a secretary, became pregnant, and she and Gordon moved into a bedroom of his grandmother's flat in
St Leonard's, Edinburgh
St Leonard's is a neighbourhood of south-central Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom. Once notable as a centre of industry, it is now primarily residential.
The area takes its name from the mediaeval St Leonard's Hospital, Edinburgh, hospital o ...
. Irene was 18 years old when she gave birth to Hendry on 13 January 1969.
The family subsequently moved to
Gorgie
Gorgie ( ) is a densely populated area of Edinburgh, Scotland. It is located to the west of the city centre, and borders Murrayfield, Ardmillan and Dalry, Edinburgh, Dalry.
Name
The name is thought to be British language (Celtic), Brythonic in ...
. Hendry's younger brother Keith was born in 1972, and the family moved to
Baberton Mains. His father was then working in the fruit and vegetable wholesale business.
By the late 1970s, Hendry's father and a business partner were running three
greengrocer
A greengrocer is a person who owns or operates a shop selling primarily produce, fruit and vegetables. The term may also be used to refer to a shop selling primarily produce. It is used predominantly in the United Kingdom and Australia.
In the ...
's shops, located in
Inverkeithing
Inverkeithing ( ; ) is a coastal town, parish and historic Royal burgh in Fife, Scotland. The town lies on the north shore of the Firth of Forth, northwest of Edinburgh city centre and south of Dunfermline.
A town of ancient origin, Inverke ...
,
Dalgety Bay
Dalgety Bay () is a coastal town and parish in Fife, Scotland, on the north shore of the Firth of Forth, 9 miles from Edinburgh city centre. It is part of the Greater Dunfermline Area and is connected to Inverkeithing to the West. The civil pa ...
, and
Dunfermline
Dunfermline (; , ) is a city, parish, and former royal burgh in Fife, Scotland, from the northern shore of the Firth of Forth. Dunfermline was the de facto capital of the Kingdom of Scotland between the 11th and 15th centuries.
The earliest ...
. The family moved to a bungalow in Dalgety Bay when Hendry was nine and lived there for the next six years.
He attended
Inverkeithing High School
Inverkeithing High School is a secondary school located in Inverkeithing, a historic town on Fife's southern coast 3½ miles from Dunfermline city centre, 9½ miles from Edinburgh city centre, and in between the towns and villages of Dalgety ...
. He started playing snooker when his parents bought him a miniature snooker table for Christmas in 1981.
He subsequently began playing on full-sized tables at Maloco's Snooker Hall and the Classic Snooker Centre in Dunfermline.
He made his first century break, a 102, at the Classic Snooker Centre several months after his 13th birthday in 1982.
When Hendry was 15, his parents separated. Due to financial difficulties caused by his father's
problem gambling
Problem gambling, ludopathy, or ludomania is repetitive gambling behavior despite harm and negative consequences. Problem gambling may be diagnosed as a mental disorder according to DSM-5 if certain diagnostic criteria are met. Pathological ...
, they had to sell their house and business interests. Hendry's mother moved with her two sons to a council house in her hometown of
Kirkliston
Kirkliston is a village and parish to the west of Edinburgh, Scotland, historically within the county of West Lothian but now within the City of Edinburgh council area limits. It lies on high ground immediately north of a northward loop of the ...
, and Hendry began attending
Queensferry High School. His father moved to a small flat in nearby
Broxburn but travelled frequently with Hendry to snooker tournaments around the country.
Hendry lived in a flat in
South Queensferry
Queensferry, also called South Queensferry or simply "The Ferry", is a town to the west of Edinburgh, Scotland. Traditionally a royal burgh of West Lothian, it is now administered by the City of Edinburgh Council. It lies ten miles to the nor ...
during the early part of his professional snooker career.
Career
Amateur years (1982–1985)
Hendry's first tournament win was an under-16 "Stars of the Future" event at a Pontins holiday camp in
Prestatyn
Prestatyn (; ) is a seaside town and community in Denbighshire, Wales. Historically a part of Flintshire, it is located on the Irish Sea coast, to the east of Rhyl. Prestatyn has a population of 19,085.
Origin of name
The name Prestatyn d ...
, Wales. After winning both the Scottish and
British Under-16 Championships,
he made his first televised appearance in 1983 on ''
Junior Pot Black'', where he defeated
Nick Pearce but then lost to Steve Ventham in the semi-finals.
In 1984, he became the youngest ever winner of the Scottish Amateur Championship. At the
1984 World Amateur Snooker Championship he became the youngest player ever to participate in the championship. He finished sixth-placed in his qualifying group of nine participants, and did not qualify for the final stages,
In February 1985, his application for professional status was accepted by the
World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association
The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) is the governing body of professional snooker and English billiards. It is headquartered in Bristol, England. Founded as the Professional Billiard Players Association (PBPA) in ...
. Two months later, he retained the Scottish Amateur Championship. Aged 16 years, he was then the sport's youngest professional.
From the age of 14 he was managed by Ron Clover, who also managed darts player
Jocky Wilson
John Thomas "Jocky" Wilson (22 March 1950 – 24 March 2012) was a Scottish professional darts player. After turning professional in 1979, he quickly rose to the top of the game, winning the World Professional Darts Championship in 1982, ...
, but when he was 16 Ian Doyle and Jim Marley took over his management after paying Clover £2,000.
Doyle, who was influenced by
Barry Hearn's style of management, arranged a series of money matches against leading players for Hendry, mirroring the way that Hearn had arranged matches for
Steve Davis
Steve Davis (born 22 August 1957) is an English retired professional snooker player who is currently a Sports commentator, commentator, DJ, electronic musician and author. He dominated professional snooker in the 1980s, when he reached eight ...
before he turned professional.
Early professional years (1985–1989)
In his
debut season as a professional, Hendry earnt his first
ranking point at the
1986 Classic, eliminating
Dessie Sheehan,
Graham Miles and
Silvino Francisco before losing 4–5 to
Neal Foulds
Neal Foulds (born 13 July 1963) is an English former professional snooker player and six-time tournament winner, including the 1986 International Open, the 1988 Dubai Masters and the 1992 Scottish Masters, as well as the invitational Pot Bla ...
. He won the
Scottish Professional Championship, becoming the youngest player to win any national professional title.
He won four qualifying matches to reach the main stage of the
1986 World Snooker Championship, losing 8–10 to
Willie Thorne
William Joseph Thorne (4 March 195417 June 2020) was an English professional snooker player. He won one ranking title, the 1985 Classic. He also reached the final of the 1985 UK Championship, losing 16–14 to Steve Davis after leading 13– ...
in the first round. 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 until
Luca Brecel made his Crucible debut in 2012 aged two months younger.
In the
1986–87 season, Hendry and
Mike Hallett
Mike Hallett (born 6 July 1959) is an English former professional snooker player and commentator. He won the 1989 Hong Kong Open.
Career
Hallett was born in Grimsby on 6 July 1959. Having won the British Junior Snooker Championship, national ...
reached the final of the
1986 World Doubles Championship, which they lost 3–10 to
Steve Davis
Steve Davis (born 22 August 1957) is an English retired professional snooker player who is currently a Sports commentator, commentator, DJ, electronic musician and author. He dominated professional snooker in the 1980s, when he reached eight ...
and
Tony Meo
Anthony Christian Meo (born 4 October 1959) is a retired English snooker player. He won the 1989 British Open by defeating Dean Reynolds 13–6 in the final, and was runner-up to Steve Davis at the 1984 Classic. He won four World Doubles C ...
, Hendry reached his first ranking semi-final at the
Classic
A classic is an outstanding example of a particular style; something of Masterpiece, lasting worth or with a timeless quality; of the first or Literary merit, highest quality, class, or rank – something that Exemplification, exemplifies its ...
but lost 3–9 to
Steve Davis
Steve Davis (born 22 August 1957) is an English retired professional snooker player who is currently a Sports commentator, commentator, DJ, electronic musician and author. He dominated professional snooker in the 1980s, when he reached eight ...
. He then retained his
Scottish Professional Championship title. Having won three qualifying matches to reach the main stage of the
1987 World Championship, he then eliminated Thorne and
Steve Longworth to progress to
the quarter-finals. He lost 12–13 to defending champion
Joe Johnson, despite coming from 1–8 and 8–12 behind to force a deciding frame.
Hendry defeated Hallett to win the invitational
1987 Australian Masters, and was runner-up to
Steve Davis
Steve Davis (born 22 August 1957) is an English retired professional snooker player who is currently a Sports commentator, commentator, DJ, electronic musician and author. He dominated professional snooker in the 1980s, when he reached eight ...
at the
1987 Hong Kong Masters.
During the
1987–88 season, Hendry won his first ranking title, beating Taylor 10–7 in the final of the
Grand Prix. He and Hallett won the
1987 World Doubles Championship, defeating
Dennis Taylor
Dennis Taylor (born 19 January 1949) is a Northern Irish retired professional snooker player and current commentator. He turned professional in 1972 and won the 1985 World Snooker Championship, in which he lost the first eight frames of 1985 W ...
and
Cliff Thorburn
Clifford Charles Devlin Thorburn (born 16 January 1948) is a Canadian retired professional snooker player. Nicknamed "The Grinder" because of his slow, determined style of play, he won the World Snooker Championship in 1980, defeating Alex Hi ...
12–6 in the final. Hendry captured his second ranking title at the
British Open with a 13–2 victory against Hallett in the final. He also won his third consecutive
Scottish Professional Championship. By the end of his third professional season, he had reached number four in the world rankings and was named the
BBC Scotland Sports Personality of the Year for 1987.
Although he failed to win a ranking title during the
1988–89 season, he won the
Masters on his debut, defeating
John Parrott 9–6 in the final.
He reached his first world semi-final at the
1989 World Championship but lost 9–16 to the eventual champion Davis.
World Champion and World Number One (1989–1999)
The
1989–90 season saw Hendry win four ranking titles and two notable invitational events. He won his first
UK Championship
The UK Championship is a professional ranking snooker tournament. It is one of snooker's prestigious Triple Crown events, along with the World Championship and the Masters. It is usually held at the Barbican in York, England. Ronnie O'Sull ...
, defeating Davis 16–12 in the final; won his second
Masters, defeating Parrott 9–4 in the final;
and won his first world title at the
1990 World Championship, beating
Jimmy White
James Warren White (born 2 May 1962) is an English professional snooker player who has won ten ranking events. Nicknamed "The Whirlwind" because of his swift and attacking style of play, White has reached six World Snooker Championship finals ...
18–12 in the final. He became the second player to win all three
Triple Crown events in the same season, after Davis had first achieved the feat two seasons earlier. Aged 21 years and 106 days, he superseded
Alex Higgins
Alexander Gordon Higgins (18 March 1949 – 24 July 2010) was a Northern Irish professional snooker player and a two-time world champion who is remembered as one of the most iconic figures in the sport's history. Nicknamed "Hurricane Higgi ...
as the sport's youngest world champion, a record he still holds as of 2025. He also won ranking titles at the
Dubai Classic
The Dubai Classic (also known as the Dubai Duty Free Classic for sponsorship and marketing purposes) was a professional Snooker world rankings, ranking snooker tournament. The last champion was Ronnie O'Sullivan.
History
It began life as the ...
and
Asian Open and became
world number one for the first time at the end of the season.
In the
1990–91 season, Hendry became the first player to win five ranking titles in a single season. He won his second
UK Championship
The UK Championship is a professional ranking snooker tournament. It is one of snooker's prestigious Triple Crown events, along with the World Championship and the Masters. It is usually held at the Barbican in York, England. Ronnie O'Sull ...
, defeating Davis 16–15 in the final, and his third
Masters, defeating Hallett 9–8 in the final after trailing 0–7 and 2–8.
However, he failed to retain his world title at the
1991 World Championship; he lost 11–13 to
Steve James in the quarter-finals, despite having led 11–9, falling victim to the
Crucible curse. In the
1991–92 season, he won his fourth
Masters, defeating Parrott 9–4 in the final.
He won his second world title at the
1992 World Championship, where he came from 8–14 behind against White in the final to win ten consecutive frames for an 18–14 victory. He achieved his first
maximum break
A maximum break (also known as a maximum, a 147, or orally, a onefourseven) is the highest possible in snooker in normal circumstances and is a special type of . A player compiles a maximum break by potting all 15 with 15 for 120 points, fo ...
in professional competition while playing Thorne in the
Matchroom League.
In the
1992–93 season, Hendry won his fifth consecutive
Masters, beating
James Wattana 9–5 in the final.
He won his third world title at the
1993 World Championship, defeating White 18–5 in the final with a
session to spare, having lost just 25 frames in the tournament. In the
1993–94 season, he reached the final of the
UK Championship
The UK Championship is a professional ranking snooker tournament. It is one of snooker's prestigious Triple Crown events, along with the World Championship and the Masters. It is usually held at the Barbican in York, England. Ronnie O'Sull ...
but lost 6–10 to 17-year-old
Ronnie O'Sullivan
Ronald Antonio O'Sullivan (born 5 December 1975) is an English professional snooker player. Widely recognised as one of the most talented and accomplished players in snooker history, he has won the World Snooker Championship seven times, a m ...
, who won his maiden ranking title at the event. Hendry reached a sixth consecutive
Masters final but lost 8–9 to his compatriot
Alan McManus, his first defeat at the Masters. He won his fourth world title at the
1994 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.
In 1994, Hendry was awarded an
MBE.
In the
1994–95 season, he won his third
UK Championship
The UK Championship is a professional ranking snooker tournament. It is one of snooker's prestigious Triple Crown events, along with the World Championship and the Masters. It is usually held at the Barbican in York, England. Ronnie O'Sull ...
, defeating
Ken Doherty
Kenneth Joseph Doherty (born 17 September 1969) is an Irish professional snooker player who also works as a commentator and pundit on televised snooker broadcasts. From Ranelagh in Dublin, he is the sport's only World Snooker Championship, wor ...
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 (with
Judd Trump
Judd Trump (born 20 August 1989) is an English professional snooker player who is a former List of World Snooker Championship winners, world champion and the current List of world number one snooker players, world number one. He is currently in ...
and
Ding Junhui) for the most centuries in any professional contest. Hendry ended the season by winning the
1995 World Championship, defeating O'Sullivan 13–8 in the quarter-finals, White 16–12 in the semi-finals, and
Nigel Bond 18–9 in the final to claim his fifth world title.
In the
1995–96 season, Hendry again won all three Triple Crown events: He defeated
Peter Ebdon 10–3 to win his fourth
UK Championship
The UK Championship is a professional ranking snooker tournament. It is one of snooker's prestigious Triple Crown events, along with the World Championship and the Masters. It is usually held at the Barbican in York, England. Ronnie O'Sull ...
, defeated O'Sullivan 10–5 to win his sixth
Masters,
and defeated Ebdon 18–12 in the
1996 World Championship final to win his sixth world title, equalling the modern-era record held by
Ray Reardon
Raymond Reardon (8 October 1932 – 19 July 2024) was a Welsh professional snooker player who dominated the sport in the 1970s, winning the World Snooker Championship six times and claiming more than a dozen other professional titles. Due to h ...
and
Steve Davis
Steve Davis (born 22 August 1957) is an English retired professional snooker player who is currently a Sports commentator, commentator, DJ, electronic musician and author. He dominated professional snooker in the 1980s, when he reached eight ...
. Hendry remains the only player to win all three Triple Crown events in two different seasons. He was named the
BBC Scotland Sports Personality of the Year for a second time in 1996.
In the
1996–97 season, Hendry won his fifth
UK Championship
The UK Championship is a professional ranking snooker tournament. It is one of snooker's prestigious Triple Crown events, along with the World Championship and the Masters. It is usually held at the Barbican in York, England. Ronnie O'Sull ...
, coming from 4–8 behind to defeat
John Higgins 10–9 in the final. In the best-of-17 Liverpool Victoria
Charity 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. At the
1997 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 since
1991
It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...
. His 29 consecutive victories at the Crucible over that period remains a record.
Hendry won only one ranking title in the
1997–98 season, despite reaching two of the three Triple Crown finals. He lost the
UK Championship
The UK Championship is a professional ranking snooker tournament. It is one of snooker's prestigious Triple Crown events, along with the World Championship and the Masters. It is usually held at the Barbican in York, England. Ronnie O'Sull ...
final 6–10 to O'Sullivan. In the
1998 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 the
1998 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 champion
John Higgins. In the
1998–99 season, he suffered a shock 0–9 whitewash to world number 73
Marcus Campbell in the first round of the
UK Championship
The UK Championship is a professional ranking snooker tournament. It is one of snooker's prestigious Triple Crown events, along with the World Championship and the Masters. It is usually held at the Barbican in York, England. Ronnie O'Sull ...
. It was then the heaviest professional defeat of Hendry's career, surpassing his 1–9 loss to Thorburn in the semi-finals of the
1987 International Open
The 1987 International Open (officially the 1987 Fidelity Unit Trusts International Open) was a professional ranking snooker tournament that took place between September and October 1987 at Trentham Gardens in Stoke-on-Trent, England. The last 6 ...
. 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. However, at the
1999 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 in
2022
The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...
.
Later career and retirement (1999–2012)
In the
1999–2000 season, Hendry won the
British 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 debutant
Stuart Bingham in the first round of the
2000 World Championship. In the
2000–01 season, Hendry failed to win any ranking titles for the first time since the
1988–89 season, reaching only one final. In the
2001–02 season, he won the
European Open and came close to an eighth world title at the
2002 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.
Hendry won the
Welsh Open in the
2002–03 season and won the
British Open in the
2003–04 season. Returning from the
Euro-Asia Masters Challenge in September 2003, he had his
cue broken in the luggage hold of his international flight, where players had been required to stow their cues since the
11 September 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...
. 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 the
2004 World Championship but lost 4–17 to O'Sullivan with a session to spare, his heaviest defeat in a world semi-final. In the
2004–05 season, he was runner-up at the
Welsh Open, losing 8–9 to O'Sullivan. The following month, he defeated fellow Scot
Graeme Dott 9–7 to win the
Malta Cup, his 36th and last ranking title.
Hendry regained the world number one ranking for the
2005–06 season due to his consistency in reaching the latter stages of tournaments without, by his own admission, reproducing his form of old. 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 the
2006 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 disappointing
2007–08 season, he reached his 12th world semi-final at the
2008 World Championship, surpassing Davis's previous record of 11 semi-finals. Aged 39, he was the oldest player to reach the semi-finals since
Terry 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.
Hendry also had a poor
2008–09 season, although his 10–7 win over Williams in the first round of the
2009 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 against
Shaun Murphy
Shaun Peter Murphy (born 10 August 1982) is an English professional snooker player who won the 2005 World Snooker Championship, 2005 World Championship and has completed the Triple Crown (snooker), Triple Crown. Nicknamed "The Magician", Murp ...
, but lost the match 11–13. 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.
In the
2009–10 season, Hendry reached the quarter-finals of the
China Open but lost 4–5 to
Mark Allen, despite having led 4–2. In the
Masters, he lost 4–6 to Murphy in the first round. In the
2010 World Championship, he lost 5–13 to
Mark Selby
Mark Anthony Selby (born 19 June 1983) is an English professional snooker player. Ranked List of world number one snooker players, world number one on multiple occasions, he has won a total of 24 ranking titles, placing him eighth on the all ...
in the second round. He participated in a challenge match against Ding in
Beijing
Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...
but lost 6–13.

In the
2010–11 season, Hendry defeated White 9–8 in the first round of the
2010 UK Championship but lost 6–9 in the second round to Williams. Afterward, he expressed his frustration with his form and revealed that he has been suffering from "the
yips" for ten years, leaving him unable to cue through the ball and causing him to miss routine shots.
He lost 3–6 to reigning world champion
Neil Robertson
Neil Alexander Robertson (born 11 February 1982) is an Australian professional snooker player, who is a former List of World Snooker Championship winners, world champion and former List of world number one snooker players, world number one. He ...
in the
Masters. He made his tenth professional maximum break at the
Welsh Open against
Stephen Maguire but lost the match. At the
China Open he whitewashed
Matthew Stevens 5–0 in the first round, before losing 2–5 to Ding in the second round. At the
2011 World Championship, he beat
Joe Perry in a first-round decider but again lost in the second round to Selby, this time by a score of 4–13.
In the
2011–12 season, after losing to
Robert Milkins
Robert Milkins (born 6 March 1976) is an English professional snooker player known for quick play. Milkins has been a member of snooker's main tour since regaining a tour card in 1998.
Milkins reached a career high rank of 12 in 2014 and 2023, ...
in the first round of the
Shanghai Masters, Hendry fell to 21st in the world rankings, ending his 23 years in the top 16. He missed the
Masters for the first time since his 1989 debut and had to qualify to reach the main stages of subsequent ranking events. He qualified for the
UK Championship
The UK Championship is a professional ranking snooker tournament. It is one of snooker's prestigious Triple Crown events, along with the World Championship and the Masters. It is usually held at the Barbican in York, England. Ronnie O'Sull ...
but lost 3–6 to Maguire in the first round. He lost 1–5 to
James Wattana in the
German Masters
The German Masters is a professional Snooker world rankings, ranking snooker tournament held at the Tempodrom in Berlin, Germany since 2011, except for 2021, when it was held at Milton Keynes in England because of the COVID-19 pandemic. An ear ...
qualifiers, failing to reach the final stages of a ranking tournament for the first time in 15 years. He qualified for the
Welsh Open by whitewashing
Kurt Maflin 4–0 and then defeated reigning Masters champion
Neil Robertson
Neil Alexander Robertson (born 11 February 1982) is an Australian professional snooker player, who is a former List of World Snooker Championship winners, world champion and former List of world number one snooker players, world number one. He ...
4–1 in the first round. However, he lost 0–4 to
Mark Allen in the second round. After defeating
Mike Dunn 5–2 in qualifying, Hendry played Robertson again in the first round of the
World Open but lost 3–5. Hendry defeated
Yu Delu 5–1 to qualify for the
China Open, where he defeated
Martin Gould 5–4 in the first round, winning on the final black. He played Robertson for the third consecutive time in a ranking event but lost 3–5.
Hendry ensured he would make his 27th consecutive appearance at the main stage of the
2012 World Championship when he defeated Yu 10–6 in the qualifiers. 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. 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.
Return to the professional tour and second retirement (2020–2024)
In August 2020, Hendry reached the semi-finals of the
World Seniors Championship
The World Seniors Championship is an invitational seniors snooker tournament which has been played under different formats. As of 2020 the minimum age is 40, but it was 45 in 2011 and 2012.
History
The event was first held in 1991 with 16 p ...
. The following month, citing improvements in his form and confidence, he accepted a two-year invitational tour card for the main
World Snooker Tour
The World Snooker Tour (WST) is the main professional snooker tour, consisting of about 128 players competing on a circuit of up to 28 tournaments each season. It is administered by World Snooker Ltd, the commercial arm of professional snooker, ...
. After delaying his return to competition several times during the
2020–21 season, he played his first professional match in almost nine years at the
2021 Gibraltar Open, losing 1–4 to
Matthew Selt in the first round. At the
2021 World Championship, he won his first-round qualifier 6–3 against Jimmy White, but he lost 1–6 to
Xu Si in the second qualifying round.

During the
2021–22 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 defeated
Chris Wakelin 3–2 in the first round of the
2021 British Open, but
Gary Wilson whitewashed him 3–0 in the second round. He defeated
Michael White 4–1 to qualify for the
2021 English Open but was whitewashed 0–4 in the first round by Wakelin, scoring just 18 points in the match. He lost 0–4 to
Allan Taylor in the
2021 Scottish Open qualifiers, 3–5 to
Li Hang in the
January 2022 European Masters qualifiers, and 2–5 to
Gao Yang in the
2022 German Masters qualifiers. After a 1–6 defeat to
Thepchaiya Un-Nooh in the first round of the
2021 UK Championship, he did not compete in any further professional events for the remainder of the season. He opted not to enter the
2022 World Championship qualifiers, stating that he had not been practising enough to be competitive, but confirmed that he intended to continue on the tour.
In April 2022, Hendry's invitational tour card was renewed for a further two seasons, despite complaints from some players and concerns from snooker's governing body about his limited participation on the tour. His
2022–23 season began with a 0–5 whitewash by
Mark Joyce in qualifying for the
2022 European Masters and a 1–4 defeat to
Zhang Anda in qualifying for the
2022 British Open. He withdrew from the
2022 Northern Ireland Open and also withdrew from the
2022 UK Championship when the qualifying schedule conflicted with his broadcasting work for
ITV at the
2022 Champion of Champions. He played his third professional match of the season in the
2023 German Masters qualifiers, where he was whitewashed 0–5 by Matthew Stevens. At the
2023 World Championship, he lost 4–10 in the first qualifying round to his ex-wife's nephew
James Cahill, after which he said he still had "a very distant dream" that he would one day compete at the Crucible again.
Hendry's
2023–24 season began with a 2–4 defeat to
Muhammad Asif in qualifying for the
2023 British Open. After losing 0–4 to
Fergal O'Brien in qualifying for the
2023 English Open, 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. He led
Tien Pengfei 2–0 in the
2023 International Championship
The 2023 International Championship (officially the 2023 Du Xiaoman International Championship) was a professional snooker tournament that took place from 5 to 12 November 2023 at the in Tianjin, China. It was the ninth iteration of the Interna ...
qualifiers but lost the match 3–6. He lost 2–4 to Matthew Stevens in qualifying for the
2023 Northern Ireland Open and lost by the same score to
Ross Muir in qualifying for the
2024 Welsh Open. He opted not to enter the
2024 World Snooker Championship qualifiers, meaning that he finished a second consecutive season without a professional win. 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.
Status
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 most
world titles in the modern era (7), the most
ranking titles (36), the most
Triple Crown titles (18), the most
centuries in professional competition (775), and (jointly with O'Sullivan) the most
maximum break
A maximum break (also known as a maximum, a 147, or orally, a onefourseven) is the highest possible in snooker in normal circumstances and is a special type of . A player compiles a maximum break by potting all 15 with 15 for 120 points, fo ...
s (11).
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. O'Sullivan now holds the record for the most maximum breaks, with 15, while Higgins is second with 13.
Dennis Taylor and Ray Reardon have argued that O'Sullivan has superseded Hendry as the sport's greatest player. 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". Steve Davis considers O'Sullivan to be the best player but Hendry the greatest winner. White also regards O'Sullivan as the best player but considers Davis his toughest opponent. 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.
Sean Ingle, chief sports journalist for ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'', has continued to make the case for Hendry as the sport's greatest player.
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. 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. After O'Sullivan equalled Hendry's seven world titles in 2022, each player paid tribute to the other, with O'Sullivan saying: "
endryused to play six hours a day and didn't miss a ball. There is no one dominating the sport like he did, like
Tiger Woods
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods (born December 30, 1975) is an American professional golfer. He is tied for first in List of golfers with most PGA Tour wins, PGA Tour wins, ranks second in List of men's major championships winning golfers, men's m ...
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".
Personal life
At age 16, Hendry began dating 17-year-old Amanda Tart. Despite strong disapproval from Hendry's then-manager Doyle, who feared that a girlfriend would distract Hendry from snooker, the two continued to see each other. They married on 30 June 1995, shortly after Hendry's fifth world title win. Their son Blaine was born the following year. The couple struggled to have more children and underwent multiple
IVF procedures. In 2003, they had a
stillborn son. They subsequently had another son, Carter, born in 2004. Amanda's sister Maria, a leading female snooker player in the 1980s and 1990s, married Patrick Cahill; their son
James Cahill has also played snooker professionally.
In the 2010s, Hendry underwent financial struggles and divorce. In August 2011,
HM Revenue and Customs
His Majesty's Revenue and Customs (commonly HM Revenue and Customs, or HMRC, and formerly Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs) is a department of the UK government responsible for the collection of taxes, the payment of some forms of stat ...
successfully applied to
Glasgow 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. 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 first met while she was selling merchandise at
Snooker Legends exhibition events. Hendry and Thundow began living together in the south of England.
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.
During divorce proceedings, accountants failed to uncover significant wealth held by Hendry; his wife said she did not know what happened to his tournament winnings, commenting "we never spent any of it".
In 2021, she sold the couple's former home in
Auchterarder
Auchterarder (; , meaning Upper Highland) is a town north of the Ochil Hills in Perth and Kinross, Scotland, and home to the Gleneagles Hotel. The High Street of Auchterarder gave the town its popular name of "The Lang Toun" or Long Town.
The ...
, which she had received as part of their divorce settlement, for around £875,000.
Hendry's father Gordon died from cancer in 2017 at age 68.
In 2018, Hendry published his autobiography, ''Me and the Table''.
In 2022, he launched a
YouTube
YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
channel, Stephen Hendry's Cue Tips, which presents instructional content as well as conversations over frames of snooker with players and other personalities. Hendry has a single-figure
golf handicap
A golf handicap is a numerical measure of a golfer's ability, or potential ability, that is used to enable players of different abilities to compete against one another. Better players are those with the lowest handicaps.
Historically, rules relat ...
and enjoys poker and football; he supports Scottish team
Heart of Midlothian.
Performance and rankings timeline
Career finals
Ranking finals: 57 (36 titles)
Non-ranking finals: 65 (40 titles)
{,
, -
, style="width:40%; vertical-align:top; text-align:left;",
{, class="wikitable"
! Legend
, - style="background:#ffc;"
, The Masters (6–3)
, - style="background:#d0f0c0;"
, Premier League (6–5)
, -
, Other (28–17)
{, class="wikitable sortable"
! scope="col" style="width:80px;", Outcome
! scope="col" style="width:20px;", No.
! scope="col" style="width:50px;", Year
! scope="col" style="width:190px;", Championship
! scope="col" style="width:180px;", Opponent in the final
! scope="col" style="width:80px;", Score
, -
, style="background:#98FB98, Winner
, 1.
,
1986
,
Scottish Professional Championship
,
, align="center", 10–5
, -
, style="background:#98FB98, Winner
, 2.
,
1987
Events January
* January 1 – Bolivia reintroduces the Boliviano currency.
* January 2 – Chadian–Libyan conflict – Battle of Fada: The Military of Chad, Chadian army destroys a Libyan armoured brigade.
* January 3 – Afghan leader ...
,
,
, align="center", 10–7
, -
, style="background:#98FB98, Winner
, 3.
,
1987
Events January
* January 1 – Bolivia reintroduces the Boliviano currency.
* January 2 – Chadian–Libyan conflict – Battle of Fada: The Military of Chad, Chadian army destroys a Libyan armoured brigade.
* January 3 – Afghan leader ...
,
Australian Masters
,
, align="center", 371–226 points
, -
, style="background:#ffa07a, Runner-up
, 1.
,
1987
Events January
* January 1 – Bolivia reintroduces the Boliviano currency.
* January 2 – Chadian–Libyan conflict – Battle of Fada: The Military of Chad, Chadian army destroys a Libyan armoured brigade.
* January 3 – Afghan leader ...
,
Hong Kong Masters
The Hong Kong Masters is a professional invitational snooker tournament which was initially held for six editions in the 1980s, before being revived in 2017.
The tournament was originally one of several established in Asia in the 1980s by Barry H ...
,
, align="center", 3–9
, -
, style="background:#98FB98, Winner
, 4.
,
1988
,
,
, align="center", 10–4
, -
, - style=background:#d0f0c0;"
, style="background:#ffa07a, Runner-up
, 2.
,
1988
,
Matchroom League
,
, align="center", Round-Robin
, -
, style="background:#98FB98, Winner
, 5.
,
1988
,
New Zealand Masters
,
, align="center", 6–1
, -
, style="background:#ffa07a, Runner-up
, 3.
,
1988
,
Fosters Professional
,
, align="center", 5–8
, -
, - style="background:#ffc;"
, style="background:#98FB98, Winner
, 6.
,
1989
1989 was a turning point in political history with the "Revolutions of 1989" which ended communism in Eastern Bloc of Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power-sharing coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin W ...
,
The Masters
The Masters Tournament (usually referred to as simply the Masters, or as the U.S. Masters outside North America) is one of the four men's major golf championships, men's major championships in Professional golf tours, professional golf. Schedul ...
,
, align="center", 9–6
, -
, style="background:#ffa07a, Runner-up
, 4.
,
1989
1989 was a turning point in political history with the "Revolutions of 1989" which ended communism in Eastern Bloc of Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power-sharing coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin W ...
,
Irish Masters
,
, align="center", 8–9
, -
, style="background:#98FB98, Winner
, 7.
,
1989
1989 was a turning point in political history with the "Revolutions of 1989" which ended communism in Eastern Bloc of Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power-sharing coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin W ...
,
London Masters
,
, align="center", 4–2
, -
, style="background:#98FB98, Winner
, 8.
,
1989
1989 was a turning point in political history with the "Revolutions of 1989" which ended communism in Eastern Bloc of Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power-sharing coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin W ...
,
Scottish Masters
,
, align="center", 10–1
, -
, style="background:#ffa07a, Runner-up
, 5.
,
1989
1989 was a turning point in political history with the "Revolutions of 1989" which ended communism in Eastern Bloc of Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power-sharing coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin W ...
,
Norwich Union Grand Prix
,
, align="center", 3–5
, -
, - style="background:#ffc;"
, style="background:#98FB98, Winner
, 9.
,
1990
Important events of 1990 include the Reunification of Germany and the unification of Yemen, the formal beginning of the Human Genome Project (finished in 2003), the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, the separation of Namibia from South ...
,
The Masters
The Masters Tournament (usually referred to as simply the Masters, or as the U.S. Masters outside North America) is one of the four men's major golf championships, men's major championships in Professional golf tours, professional golf. Schedul ...
(2)
,
, align="center", 9–4
, -
, style="background:#98FB98, Winner
, 10.
,
1990
Important events of 1990 include the Reunification of Germany and the unification of Yemen, the formal beginning of the Human Genome Project (finished in 2003), the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, the separation of Namibia from South ...
,
Pontins Professional
,
, align="center", 9–6
, -
, style="background:#98FB98, Winner
, 11.
,
1990
Important events of 1990 include the Reunification of Germany and the unification of Yemen, the formal beginning of the Human Genome Project (finished in 2003), the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, the separation of Namibia from South ...
,
London Masters (2)
,
, align="center", 4–2
, -
, - style=background:#d0f0c0;"
, style="background:#ffa07a, Runner-up
, 6.
,
1990
Important events of 1990 include the Reunification of Germany and the unification of Yemen, the formal beginning of the Human Genome Project (finished in 2003), the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, the separation of Namibia from South ...
,
Matchroom League (2)
,
, align="center", Round-Robin
, -
, style="background:#98FB98, Winner
, 12.
,
1990
Important events of 1990 include the Reunification of Germany and the unification of Yemen, the formal beginning of the Human Genome Project (finished in 2003), the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, the separation of Namibia from South ...
,
Scottish Masters (2)
,
, align="center", 10–6
, -
, style="background:#ffa07a, Runner-up
, 7.
,
1990
Important events of 1990 include the Reunification of Germany and the unification of Yemen, the formal beginning of the Human Genome Project (finished in 2003), the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, the separation of Namibia from South ...
,
World Matchplay
,
, align="center", 9–18
, -
, style="background:#98FB98, Winner
, 13.
,
1990
Important events of 1990 include the Reunification of Germany and the unification of Yemen, the formal beginning of the Human Genome Project (finished in 2003), the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, the separation of Namibia from South ...
, Centenary Challenge
,
, align="center",
, -
, - style="background:#ffc;"
, style="background:#98FB98, Winner
, 14.
,
1991
It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...
,
The Masters
The Masters Tournament (usually referred to as simply the Masters, or as the U.S. Masters outside North America) is one of the four men's major golf championships, men's major championships in Professional golf tours, professional golf. Schedul ...
(3)
,
, align="center", 9–8
, -
, - style="background:#d0f0c0;"
, style="background:#98FB98, Winner
, 15.
,
1991
It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...
,
Matchroom League
,
, align="center", Round-Robin
, -
, style="background:#ffa07a, Runner-up
, 8.
,
1991
It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...
,
Pot Black
''Pot Black'' was a snooker tournament in the United Kingdom broadcast on the BBC. Each match was contested over a single , where other tournaments were significantly longer. The event carried no ranking points, but played a large part in th ...
,
, align="center", 1–2
, -
, style="background:#ffa07a, Runner-up
, 9.
,
1991
It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...
,
Thailand Masters
The Thailand Masters was a professional snooker tournament. Previously known as Asian Open and Thailand Open, it was a Snooker world rankings, ranking tournament from 1989/90 to 2001/02. An event called the ''Thailand Masters'' also formed part o ...
,
, align="center", 3–6
, -
, style="background:#98FB98, Winner
, 16.
,
1991
It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...
,
Hong Kong Challenge
,
, align="center", 9–1
, -
, style="background:#98FB98, Winner
, 17.
,
1991
It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...
, Indian Challenge
,
, align="center", 9–5
, -
, style="background:#ffa07a, Runner-up
, 10.
,
1991
It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...
, Belgian Challenge
,
, align="center", 9–10
, -
, style="background:#ffa07a, Runner-up
, 11.
,
1991
It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...
,
London Masters
,
, align="center", 0–4
, -
, - style="background:#ffc;"
, style="background:#98FB98, Winner
, 18.
,
1992
1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General.
* January 6
** The Republ ...
,
The Masters
The Masters Tournament (usually referred to as simply the Masters, or as the U.S. Masters outside North America) is one of the four men's major golf championships, men's major championships in Professional golf tours, professional golf. Schedul ...
(4)
,
, align="center", 9–4
, -
, style="background:#98FB98, Winner
, 19.
,
1992
1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General.
* January 6
** The Republ ...
,
European Challenge
,
, align="center", 4–0
, -
, style="background:#98FB98, Winner
, 20.
,
1992
1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General.
* January 6
** The Republ ...
,
Irish Masters
,
, align="center", 9–6
, -
, - style="background:#d0f0c0;"
, style="background:#98FB98, Winner
, 21.
,
1992
1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General.
* January 6
** The Republ ...
,
Matchroom League (2)
,
, align="center", 9–2
, -
, style="background:#ffa07a, Runner-up
, 12.
,
1992
1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General.
* January 6
** The Republ ...
,
Kent Classic
,
, align="center", 5–6
, -
, style="background:#98FB98, Winner
, 22.
,
1993
The United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as:
* International Year for the World's Indigenous People
The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its ...
,
European Challenge (2)
,
, align="center", 5–3
, -
, - style="background:#ffc;"
, style="background:#98FB98, Winner
, 23.
,
1993
The United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as:
* International Year for the World's Indigenous People
The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its ...
,
The Masters
The Masters Tournament (usually referred to as simply the Masters, or as the U.S. Masters outside North America) is one of the four men's major golf championships, men's major championships in Professional golf tours, professional golf. Schedul ...
(5)
,
, align="center", 9–5
, -
, - style="background:#ffc;"
, style="background:#ffa07a;, Runner-up
, 13.
,
1994
The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations.
In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...
,
The Masters
The Masters Tournament (usually referred to as simply the Masters, or as the U.S. Masters outside North America) is one of the four men's major golf championships, men's major championships in Professional golf tours, professional golf. Schedul ...
,
, align="center", 8–9
, -
, - style="background:#d0f0c0;"
, style="background:#98FB98, Winner
, 24.
,
1994
The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations.
In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...
,
European League (3)
,
, align="center", 10–7
, -
, style="background:#98FB98, Winner
, 25.
,
1994
The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations.
In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...
, Top Rank Classic
,
, align="center", Round-Robin
, -
, style="background:#ffa07a, Runner-up
, 14.
,
1994
The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations.
In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...
,
Scottish Masters
,
, align="center", 7–9
, -
, style="background:#98FB98, Winner
, 26.
,
1995
1995 was designated as:
* United Nations Year for Tolerance
* World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War
This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...
,
Charity Challenge
,
, align="center", 9–1
, -
, - style="background:#d0f0c0;"
, style="background:#98FB98, Winner
, 27.
,
1995
1995 was designated as:
* United Nations Year for Tolerance
* World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War
This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...
,
European League (4)
,
, align="center", 10–2
, -
, style="background:#ffa07a, Runner-up
, 15.
,
1995
1995 was designated as:
* United Nations Year for Tolerance
* World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War
This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...
,
Irish Masters (2)
,
, align="center", 8–9
, -
, style="background:#98FB98, Winner
, 28.
,
1995
1995 was designated as:
* United Nations Year for Tolerance
* World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War
This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...
,
Scottish Masters (3)
,
, align="center", 9–5
, -
, - style="background:#ffc;"
, style="background:#98FB98, Winner
, 29.
,
1996
1996 was designated as:
* International Year for the Eradication of Poverty
Events January
* January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...
,
The Masters
The Masters Tournament (usually referred to as simply the Masters, or as the U.S. Masters outside North America) is one of the four men's major golf championships, men's major championships in Professional golf tours, professional golf. Schedul ...
(6)
,
, align="center", 10–5
, -
, style="background:#98FB98, Winner
, 30.
,
1997
Events January
* January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States.
* January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis.
* January 1 ...
,
Charity Challenge
,
, align="center", 9–8
, -
, style="background:#98FB98, Winner
, 31.
,
1997
Events January
* January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States.
* January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis.
* January 1 ...
,
Irish Masters (2)
,
, align="center", 9–8
, -
, - style=background:#d0f0c0;"
, style="background:#ffa07a, Runner-up
, 16.
,
1997
Events January
* January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States.
* January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis.
* January 1 ...
,
European League (3)
,
, align="center", 8–10
, -
, - style="background:#ffc;"
, style="background:#ffa07a, Runner-up
, 17.
,
1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...
,
The Masters
The Masters Tournament (usually referred to as simply the Masters, or as the U.S. Masters outside North America) is one of the four men's major golf championships, men's major championships in Professional golf tours, professional golf. Schedul ...
(2)
,
, align="center", 9–10
, -
, style="background:#ffa07a, Runner-up
, 18.
,
1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...
, Red Bull Super Challenge
,
, align="center", Round-Robin
, -
, style="background:#98FB98, Winner
, 32.
,
1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...
, Champions Super League
,
, align="center", Round-Robin
, -
, style="background:#98FB98, Winner
, 33.
,
1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...
,
Malta Grand Prix
,
, align="center", 7–6
, -
, style="background:#98FB98, Winner
, 34.
,
1999
1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons.
Events January
* January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers.
* January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...
,
Irish Masters (3)
,
, align="center", 9–8
, -
, style="background:#98FB98, Winner
, 35.
,
1999
1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons.
Events January
* January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers.
* January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...
,
Champions Cup
,
, align="center", 7–5
, -
, - style="background:#d0f0c0;"
, style="background:#98FB98, Winner
, 36.
,
2000
2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year.
Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...
,
Premier League
The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
(5)
,
, align="center", 9–5
, -
, style="background:#ffa07a, Runner-up
, 19.
,
2000
2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year.
Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...
,
Irish Masters (3)
,
, align="center", 4–9
, -
, style="background:#ffa07a, Runner-up
, 20.
,
2000
2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year.
Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...
,
Scottish Masters (2)
,
, align="center", 6–9
, -
, style="background:#98FB98, Winner
, 37.
,
2001
The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...
,
Malta Grand Prix
,
, align="center", 7–1
, -
, style="background:#ffa07a, Runner-up
, 21.
,
2001
The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...
,
Irish Masters (4)
,
, align="center", 8–9
, -
, - style=background:#d0f0c0;"
, style="background:#ffa07a, Runner-up
, 22.
,
2001
The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...
,
Premier League
The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
(4)
,
, align="center", 7–9
, -
, - style="background:#ffc;"
, style="background:#ffa07a, Runner-up
, 23.
,
2003
2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater.
In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War.
Demographic ...
,
The Masters
The Masters Tournament (usually referred to as simply the Masters, or as the U.S. Masters outside North America) is one of the four men's major golf championships, men's major championships in Professional golf tours, professional golf. Schedul ...
(3)
,
, align="center", 4–10
, -
, - style="background:#d0f0c0;"
, style="background:#98FB98, Winner
, 38.
,
2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
,
Premier League
The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
(6)
,
, align="center", 9–6
, -
, style="background:#ffa07a, Runner-up
, 24.
,
2005
2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
,
Northern Ireland Trophy
,
, align="center", 7–9
, -
, - style="background:#d0f0c0;"
, style="background:#ffa07a, Runner-up
, 25.
,
,
Premier League
The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
(5)
,
, align="center", 0–6
, -
, style="background:#98FB98, Winner
, 39.
,
2009
2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
, Legends of Snooker
,
, align="center", 5–3
, -
, style="background:#98FB98, Winner
, 40.
, 2023
, Seniors 900
,
, align="center", 1–0
* It was decided by aggregate score over five frames.
** There was no play-off. Title decided on league table only.
Team finals: 8 (5 titles)
{, class="sortable wikitable plainrowheaders"
!scope="col" width="80", Outcome
!scope="col" width="20", No.
!scope="col" width="50", Year
!scope="col" width="250", Championship
!scope="col" width="200", Team/partner
!scope="col" width="200", Opponent(s) in the final
!scope="col" width="70", Score
, -
!scope="row" style="background:#ffa07a;", Runner-up
, 1.
,
1986
,
World Doubles Championship
The World Doubles Championship, also known as the Hofmeister World Doubles (1982–1986) or the Fosters World Doubles (1987) for sponsorship purposes, was a non-ranking team snooker tournament held from 1982 to 1987 as the major event.
History ...
,
,
, align="center", 3–12
, -
!scope="row" style="background:#98FB98", Winner
, 1.
,
1987
Events January
* January 1 – Bolivia reintroduces the Boliviano currency.
* January 2 – Chadian–Libyan conflict – Battle of Fada: The Military of Chad, Chadian army destroys a Libyan armoured brigade.
* January 3 – Afghan leader ...
,
World Doubles Championship
The World Doubles Championship, also known as the Hofmeister World Doubles (1982–1986) or the Fosters World Doubles (1987) for sponsorship purposes, was a non-ranking team snooker tournament held from 1982 to 1987 as the major event.
History ...
,
,
, align="center", 12–8
, -
!scope="row" style="background:#98FB98", Winner
, 2.
, 1991
,
World Masters Men's Doubles
,
,
, align="center", 8–5
, -
!scope="row" style="background:#ffa07a;", Runner-up
, 2.
, 1991
,
World Mixed Doubles Championship
,
,
, align="center", 4–5
, -
!scope="row" style="background:#98FB98", Winner
, 3.
,
1996
1996 was designated as:
* International Year for the Eradication of Poverty
Events January
* January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...
,
World Cup
A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the name is ...
,
,
, align="center", 10–7
, -
!scope="row" style="background:#ffa07a;", Runner-up
, 3.
,
1999
1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons.
Events January
* January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers.
* January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...
,
Nations Cup
,
,
, align="center", 4–6
, -
!scope="row" style="background:#98FB98", Winner
, 4.
,
2001
The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...
,
Nations Cup
,
,
, align="center", 6–2
, -
!scope="row" style="background:#98FB98", Winner
, 5.
,
2007
2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year.
Events
January
* January 1
**Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
,
Euro-Asia Team Challenge
,
, Team
Asia
Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...
, align="center", 5–3
Amateur finals: 5 (5 titles)
{, class="wikitable sortable"
! scope="col" style="width:80px;", Outcome
! scope="col" style="width:20px;", No.
! scope="col" style="width:50px;", Year
! scope="col" style="width:250px;", Championship
! scope="col" style="width:200px;", Opponent in the final
! scope="col" style="width:50px;", Score
! scope="col" style="width:50px;",
, -
, style="background:#98FB98, Winner
, 1.
, 1982
, Pontins Star of the Future
,
, align="center", 2–0
,
, -
, style="background:#98FB98, Winner
, 1.
, 1983
, Scottish Under-16 Championship
,
,
,
, -
, style="background:#98FB98, Winner
, 2.
, 1983
,
British Junior Championship
,
, align="center", 3–0
,
, -
, style="background:#98FB98, Winner
, 3.
, 1984
, Scottish Amateur Championship
,
, align="center", 9–8
,
, -
, style="background:#98FB98, Winner
, 4.
, 1985
, Scottish Amateur Championship
(2)
,
, align="center", 9–6
,
Awards
{, class="wikitable"
! Award
! Year
!
, -
,
Member of the Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...
(MBE)
, 1993
,
, -
,
BBC Scotland Sports Personality of the Year
, 1987, 1996
,
, -
,
WPBSA Player of the Year
, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999
,
, -
,
WPBSA Young Player of the Year
, 1985, 1987, 1988
,
, -
,
WPBSA Performance of the Year
, 1995
,
, -
,
World Snooker Hall of Fame
, 2011
,
Notes
References
Books
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hendry, Stephen
1969 births
Living people
Masters (snooker) champions
UK champions (snooker)
Members of the Order of the British Empire
People educated at Inverkeithing High School
Snooker players from Edinburgh
Scottish snooker players
World number one snooker players
BBC sports presenters and reporters
People from South Queensferry
People associated with Fife
Winners of the professional snooker world championship
Scottish YouTubers
People from Inverkeithing
Snooker commentators