Judd Trump explains why he chose to leave UK with figure skater girlfriend

 Judd Trump has followed in the footsteps of Ronnie O'Sullivan by moving to Hong Kong and says the time is right for him to be "inspired" and "enjoy" his career

Judd Trump has opened up about leaving the UK

Judd Trump has explained that joining snooker legend Ronnie O'Sullivan in Hong Kong has "inspired" him to become a better player, after settling down there with his figure skater girlfriend.

Speaking to the BBC following his win over Barry Hawkins in the first round of the Masters, Trump stated that snooker's financial boom and its global rise have allowed him to embrace life in Asia. Like O'Sullivan, Trump secured residency by passing through Hong Kong's migrant scheme.

He said that due to the lucrative events taking place across Asia, he's been able to live the life of luxury, splitting his his time between Hong Kong and Dubai. "I think we have now got the opportunity to pick a bit more where you can live," Trump said.

"I think there's so many tournaments in Asia and the Middle East, everywhere is kind of picking that up and now I'm able to base myself in Dubai and Hong Kong. I think for me it's perfect, I think the style of living for me really suits me and it inspires me as well to see other people doing great."

BBC commentator John Parrott quipped about Trump seeking shelter from Britain's grim weather, to which Trump humorously agreed, adding: "Yeah I am just trying to get away from the weather as much as possible. It [the lifestyle in Hong Kong] is amazing there, it's an amazing place and I think just the whole culture and the whole place for me is inspiring.

"I need to be inspired to keep going, to want to afford to do different things and be around the right people. So I think just at this moment in time I am able to, haven't got a baby or anything, I am able to do what I want and I need to enjoy it while I can.

"I think over the last few years snooker has really picked up and now people are starting to notice a little bit more that the prize money is there, and the players keep putting the performances in, the prize money goes up.

Judd Trump's figure skater girlfriend Maisy Ma.(Image: maisyma1999)

"As long as we keep doing the right things in trying to promote the game as good as possible, then when you come to places like this [Alexandra Palace] it's an absolutely amazing place to play snooker."

During the same interview, Shaun Murphy admitted he'd considered such a move earlier in his career, but said the same advantages weren't available at the time. "It speaks to the success of the tour in the last 20 years or so," he said.

"15 years ago I remember having this conversation with my old manager who is no longer with us, Brandon, and we talked about moving out to Dubai or moving out to the Middle East in a different place in my life. And the strength in depth of the game, financially across the world, wasn't really there.

"And that's not that long ago. The explosion we have seen in snooker's popularity and as Judd mentioned, financial rewards that are there for the players, has made that possible."

Trump's partner, Maisy, is nine years his junior at 25-year-old. She is a seven-time Hong Kong champion, and also competed at the ISU Championships as well as the Asian Winter Games, where she finished 10th in 2017.

She has nearly 180,000 followers on Instagram and frequently shares content on her social media channels, but Trump does not feature in any of her posts to date. Maisy is also a coach and has worked on TV, having hosted live coverage of the Winter Olympics in 2022.