Kyren Wilson feels his year as a first time world champion has been up there with the best of them, not just for his success on the table but his work off it.
The Warrior landed the World Championship title for the first time 12 months ago and has enjoyed the best season of his career since.
The 33-year-old has won four ranking titles this campaign, beating world number one Judd Trump in three of those finals, and cemented his place at the very top of the sport.
He feels that a commitment to growing the game through media duties, unique social media posts and eye-catching entrances to matches has also added to his spell as world champ.
‘It’s got to be up there hasn’t it,’ he said of whether he has been the best first time world champion. ‘I don’t think it’s just the way I’ve won titles, I think it’s the things I’ve done along with it.
‘I’ve been stretched from pillar to post doing media duties. I’ve still been very consistent, I’ve won some amazing finals this season and I’ve done TikTok trending dances walking into a venue, how many world champions have done that?
‘I’ve literally put myself in the firing line with a few things, but I’ve done it all in the name of the sport, trying to grow it, trying to make it more popular and I like to think I’ve done while winning.’
Wilson’s four titles have come at the Xi’an Grand Prix, Northern Ireland Open, German Masters and Players Championship, but he has been remarkably consistent throughout the campaign.
‘Nobody’s mentioned the UK Championship semi-final, that’s a major achievement,’ he said. ‘A Masters final. You just look at wins, but it’s so hard to make a final let alone win it, but not only that, the standard is just ridiculously high. So to win in this modern era as much as I have done, I’m very proud of that.’
There is no question that Wilson has made the most of his time as world champion so far, thoroughly enjoying himself on and off the table.
‘I’ve loved it, the whole year leading up to this point,’ he said. ‘I think I’ve done my duty of being a good world champion, giving you guys [the media] plenty to write about and talk about on social media.
‘I’m loving the way snooker is going at the minute, just like doing this opening media day, what an experience that was up on the stage with a packed out crowd.’
To make it the perfect year, Wilson will need to return to Sheffield and break the infamous Crucible curse by defending his title.
No first time champion has ever retained the title at the first time of asking at the Crucible, but Wilson has long been thinking about breaking the curse.
Chris O’Connor, a solution-based hypnotherapist who has been working with the Warrior, said: ‘Kyren was visualising lifting the trophy, not last year, but this year, before he’d even won it the first time
‘We’re set on breaking that Crucible curse, that’s what we’re working on. He’ll tell you he’s going to do it.’
On the eve of dealing with the curse himself, Wilson said: ‘At some point it will be broken, hopefully this year and I never hear the word “curse” ever again.
‘You’ve got to be confident because if you’re not and you accept what a challenge it’s going to be, you’re almost fighting against the odds.
‘It’s already a tough challenge to win a world title, let alone defend it the year after, but I know what it takes to win this tournament, I’ve got a good record here.
‘I’ve always been very consistent, very solid, if anyone’s beat me they’ve had to play well. Same again this year, if not that I’m a tougher task this year.’
Wilson begins the defence of his title against Lei Peifan on Saturday at 10am.