John Higgins has been a mainstay at the top of snooker's world rankings for almost 30 years and boasts an impressive record - but the Scot has also encountered many hardships away from the table
John Higgins became emotional after his victory in the World Snooker Championship
John Higgins has cemented himself as one of snooker's icons in the time since turning professional in 1992. With a total of 31 ranking titles to his name, he sits behind only Ronnie O'Sullivan and Stephen Hendry on the all-time leaderboard.
The four-time world champion first entered the top 16 in 1995 and maintained his place there for over 29 years until last September. He has since fought his way back to being the world No. 3, having defeated Joe O'Connor 10-7 at the World Snooker Championship this week to secure a last-16 showdown with Xiao Guodong.
There were concerns about whether Higgins would compete at the Crucible at all due to a family health crisis, after he stayed in Scotland with his wife and missed media day last Thursday. And he couldn’t hold back his tears while appearing on the BBC after his match as he opened up about his father-in-law’s heart attack last week.
We now delve into the Scotsman's lengthy and eventful career, which includes a six-month ban and a dispute with the BBC, while also exploring his views on retirement, his net worth, and his personal life.
Ban from snooker
Back in 2010, Higgins was hit with a ban after allegations by the News of the World of agreeing to intentionally lose frames for money. He was cleared after an independent tribunal laid the blame on his former business partner, Pat Mooney, who was handed a lifetime ban despite dodging match-fixing charges on a technicality.
He was cleared of accepting a bribe and engaging in corrupt or fraudulent behaviour. However, he was found guilty of not reporting an illegal approach and purposely giving the impression that he was ready to act in breach of betting rules.
Higgins was therefore handed a six-month ban and had to pay a £75,000 fine, as well as a further £10,000 in costs. He vowed to come back even "stronger" and described the ordeal as “traumatic”, venting: "It has been made all the more hurtful by the knowledge that I never have, and never would, fix a snooker match."
Outrage with the BBC
Higgins had a bitter falling out with the BBC at the World Snooker Championship in 2022. The broadcaster mistakenly displayed an English St George's Cross next to his name during a match against Thepchaiya Un-Nooh, leaving the proud Scotsman livid.
A frustrated Higgins fumed: "England? Am I allowed to swear? God, they better get that changed pronto. That's poor isn't it? That's really poor from the BBC. Very poor."
The mistake was corrected the following day, with the Scottish flag being placed next to his name during the broadcast as Higgins clinched a 10-7 win to advance to the second round.
Stance on retirement
Higgins, who will turn 50 next month, doesn't appear to be contemplating retirement in the near future. Following his defeat to Kyren Wilson at last year's World Snooker Championship, he was adamant that he would not be stepping away from the table.
"I’m committing to playing snooker now and I’m committing to trying to get back here," he explained. "I don’t want that to be my final match at the Crucible, so I’ll still be playing snooker. I think it [retirement] is [a long time away].
"There can be other things happening off the table that can be clouding your decisions, but right now it’s a long way away. The sport will have to retire me before I retire myself, simple as that."
Impressive net worth
Higgins may not be able to match some of his biggest rivals in terms of wealth but he still has a mammoth net worth. Casino.org reported three months ago that his net worth is approximately £8.8million, ranking him as the eighth wealthiest player ever.
The same source places him ahead of Mark Williams (£7.1m), with retired legend Steve Davis leading the pack with an estimated £26.5m. Hendry follows closely at £25.5m, while O'Sullivan is sixth with £11.2m.
Family life
Higgins has been married to his wife, Denise, since 2010, after meeting at Wishaw High School as teenagers. She generally stays away from the limelight but has been instrumental in his career, encouraging Higgins to stay committed to his craft in times where he has lacked the motivation.
The couple has three children - Pierce, Oliver, and Claudia - who occasionally accompany their father at tournaments. Tragedy struck in February 2011, however, when Higgins' father lost his six-year battle against cancer. Higgins had rushed from competing in the German Masters in Berlin but was informed of his father's passing while boarding a flight back to Glasgow.
Higgins is also close to his in-laws, as shown by his emotional reaction after the win over O'Connor earlier this week. He broke down in tears and needed to be consoled by presenter Seema Jaswal.
Higgins admitted: "That was the most emotional I have ever been today. I left my wife and I was in tears. Obviously my father-in-law wasn't great. I was sitting having dinner with my boy last night and I was thinking about sitting here with my dad 25 years ago. I was drained today.
"I had a couple of hours sleep and I came out tonight and felt a lot better and played a lot better. I am still so proud that I am still playing at a good level at this age."
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