Reanne Evans Reflects on Historic Women's Snooker Milestone
The 12-time women's world champion discusses the growth of the women's game following the first professional match between two female players on the World Snooker Tour.
Reanne Evans has spoken about her role in advancing women’s snooker following a landmark moment at the 2024 English Open, where Thailand’s Mink Nutcharut beat compatriot competitor… beat Evans 4-2 in the first ever professional match between two female players on the World Snooker Tour. The interview was published by SportsBoom.
A Milestone Match
Evans, snooker’s most successful female player with 12 world titles, said the sport had progressed significantly since she began competing, and credited today’s leading players with a responsibility to keep raising its profile.
“When I think back to how the tournaments were when I started, we have moved forward leaps and bounds,” she told SportsBoom. “I would like to see that continue, I am proud of what we have achieved and it’s up to the top players to keep promoting it.”
International Growth
Evans also reflected on her career travelling internationally for the sport, including this year’s World Women’s Championship in Dongguan Changping, China, which she praised for its venue, facilities and crowd support. She described the atmosphere and staging of the event as a boost for the women’s game, expressing hope that the tour continues to expand into bigger events.
Serena Williams as Inspiration
Evans named tennis great Serena Williams as a personal inspiration, citing parallels between their experiences balancing motherhood with elite sport. She said Williams’ impact on women in sport, including for black women, resonated with her own journey, though she was reluctant to directly compare her own influence on snooker to Williams’ legacy in tennis.
Evans, 38, won ten consecutive women’s world titles between 2005 and 2014 and has also competed across five seasons of the professional mixed tour, one of the few major sports where men and women compete on equal terms.
Career Highlights
Looking back on her career, Evans highlighted her first world title win in 2005, aged 19, when she came from 4-2 down to beat Lynette Horsburgh 6-4. She also recalled defending her title a year later while seven and a half months pregnant with her daughter, beating Emma Bonney 5-3 in the final despite having no expectations going into the tournament.
Evans said her career remains ongoing, with continued ambitions to support the growth of the women’s game for future generations of players.