Former snooker world champion opens up on his wife's health battle - and admits he has endured a 'torrid time off the table'

Former world champion Kyren Wilson has opened up on the 'torrid time' he has endured away from the snooker table, revealing his wife has been battling a health issue.

Wilson, 33, is ranked No 2 in the world thanks to triumphs at this season's Shanghai Masters and the World Championships in 2024 — but the snooker star has recently suffered a dip in form.

He crashed out early at the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters, the Wuhan Open and the English Open, displaying a brand of snooker unrecognisable to the form he displayed en route to his Crucible success in 2024. 

Now, Wilson has lifted the lid on a tough period he has experienced at home, after his wife Sophie was forced to undergo surgery due to illness.

The couple, who have been together since 2009, tied the knot in 2016 and have two children together, named Finley and Baily.

Wilson did not reveal exactly why Sophie, who has previously suffered a stroke, underwent surgery — but he is hopeful that she is on the road to a full recovery now.

'I've had a bit of a torrid time off the table,' he told the World Snooker Tour after beating Haris Tahir in his opening match at the Xi'an Grand Prix.

'My wife has been very poorly so I've not really played snooker for the best part of four or five weeks now.

'I think she's coming up to about six weeks of recovery tomorrow, so I feel like my snooker is slowly coming back.

'I've started to put a bit more time in, I can focus a bit more on my game. As a result, hopefully you start seeing the results that you've been used to. 

'It was a last-minute decision to come out to China. It kind of did my head in a little bit – it's not nice knowing that someone is going to be on the operating table while you're going to hit some snooker balls around. 

'But that's the sort of sacrifice that me and my family are willing to make to be successful at this game. Sometimes you've just got to make sure that your head is clear and thankfully now I feel like I'm getting there.' 

Wilson needn't worry about crashing out at the last 64 stage for a fourth successive ranking event, after advancing to the last 16 with a straight bye following Marco Fu’s withdrawal due to an elbow injury. 

He also revealed on social media last year that his mother had been suffering from a battle with breast cancer.

Wilson said in a post on Instagram: 'Just before this years world championships we had the horrible news that my mum was diagnosed with breast cancer. 

'My mum is my hero and has sacrificed everything for my career to be successful, my mum and my dad have made me a fighter and she has shown what a fighter she is in fighting off this horrible disease! 

'We celebrated her beating breast cancer last night with family and friends with a cheeky curry!'