Kyren Wilson names the match that changed his career before winning World Snooker Championship

Kyren Wilson has revealed the one match which ultimately changed his career ahead of the 2026 World Snooker Championship.

Wilson is looking to go much further than last year at the Crucible, when he was knocked out in the first round by China's Lei Peifan.

He became the latest player to suffer the Crucible Curse - a streak where no first-time champion has ever successfully defended their title since the World Championship moved to Sheffield back in 1977.

Wilson has had a mixed season on tour, failing to qualify for the Players Championship and Tour Championship via the one-year ranking list.

He did win the iconic Masters title, as well as the Shanghai Masters, but hasn't progressed past the quarter-finals of any ranking event.

Given the competitiveness of every ranking event this season, though - defending world champion Zhao Xintong is the only multiple-time ranking winner - Wilson says going to the Crucible feels 'like starting afresh'.

Whether he can repeat his 2024 heroics, when he defeated Jak Jones 18-14 to win his maiden world title, remains to be seen.

But what he is certain about is how the 2020 final, when he was soundly defeated 18-8 by Ronnie O'Sullivan in his first experience of the Crucible's showpiece event, ultimately shaped how he approached the same match four years down the line.

"I think definitely 2020, it made me realise how much the worlds really takes out of you," he exclusively told SPORTbible, via tournament sponsors Midnite.

"I think a famous quote from Stephen Hendry was, at the start of the semi-finals, you're actually only halfway through the tournament, in terms of how many frames you need to win to get there.

"I remember waking up on the morning of the 2020 world final and thinking, 'Oh my God, how am I going to play a world final?'

"So when I did it again in 24, I knew that feeling was normal, so I didn't panic. Whereas I think in 2020, I panicked.

"It was definitely different [approaching the 2020 final versus 2024] in terms of, it was a new experience for me. I was panicking at how exhausted I felt, how bad I felt.

"I think because of how the semi-finals had gone the night before against Anthony McGill, the 17-16 nail biter, I think it just completely drained me.

"I was a bit of an emotional wreck after that. So I think that definitely impacted the start of that final [against O'Sullivan, when he trailed 6-2].

"I didn't have that going in against Jak - I felt a lot fresher. I knew what to expect of my emotions and my body."

Wilson, who is currently world number two, and the 31 other players who have qualified for the World Championship are heading into this year's tournament knowing that it is there to stay at the Crucible until at least 2045.

Part of the agreement between World Snooker and Sheffield City Council allows for the iconic theatre to be expanded by up to 500 seats, though the tournament will have to be played elsewhere in 2029 - and potentially 2030 - while those works are ongoing.

Read more: Barry Hearn sends message to Ronnie O'Sullivan over snooker future as Crucible plans detailed

It's an emotive subject for 'The Warrior' in particular, given he is one of only 29 players to lift the World Championship trophy in Sheffield.

"Yeah, amazing place," he says, when asked for his feelings on the new Crucible deal.

"I love the history that's involved, the nostalgia. You think of tennis, you think of Wimbledon. You think of snooker, you think of the Crucible. It's a really iconic venue.

"I think it's great that, not only are we going to stay there, but they're going to improve on it, they're going to build on it, and invest funds into making it a better experience for the fans. I'm really excited to see how it's going to develop over the years.

"And I'm very happy that potentially my children are going to have the chance of potentially playing there one day, if snooker is the path they want to take."

Kyren Wilson's wife and two children were present to watch him win the 2024 World Championship (Image: Getty)

"I think the compact feeling," he says on what makes the Crucible special. "If you're sat in row one, you can literally pull my cue out of my hand, you're that close to me on the back swing of the final shot.

"So it's dealing with that compact feeling, that intensive environment. And I think everybody that's in the arena really engrosses themselves into, literally, the theatre of play. You can hear a pin drop when people are playing.

"You're walking around the lobby at the back of the Crucible, and you just feel the history.

"You think of the legends - Alex Higgins, Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry, all the greats walking around the backstage - and you're now making those memories for yourself, which is incredible."

Kyren Wilson has been drawn against qualifier Stan Moody in his first round match at the World Championship, which gets underway on Monday, April 20 at 10am before concluding from 7pm on the same day.

Midnite, the UK betting and casino partner of the 2026 World Snooker Championship, is once again bringing exciting initiatives to the 17-day tournament, including the Midnite Lounge and the returning Midnite Maximum, where fans will be able to win up to £100,000.