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Peter David Ebdon (born 27 August 1970) is an English retired professional snooker player who is a former world champion and current coach. Ebdon won nine ranking titles during his career, placing him in joint 14th position (with John Parrott) on the all-time list of ranking tournament winners. He won two Triple Crown titles: the 2002 World Snooker Championship, defeating Stephen Hendry 18–17 in a final-frame decider, and the 2006 UK Championship, in which he again defeated Hendry in the final, 10–6.
After winning the 1990 IBSF World Under-21 Snooker Championship, Ebdon turned professional in the 1991–92 season. He made his first Crucible Theatre appearance at the 1992 World Snooker Championship, reaching the quarter-finals on his debut. Winning his first professional ranking title at the 1993 Grand Prix helped him enter the top 16 in the world rankings for the 1994–95 season; he remained consistently in the top 16 until the end of the 2009–10 season, reaching a career high of third. He made 24 Crucible appearances during his career and reached three World Championship finals, losing 12–18 to Stephen Hendry in 1996, defeating Hendry 18–17 in 2002, and losing 14–18 to Graeme Dott in 2006. He won his last ranking title at the 2012 China Open and reached the last of his 18 ranking event finals at the 2018 Paul Hunter Classic losing 2–4 to Kyren Wilson. He retired from the professional tour at the end of the 2019–20 season, aged 49, due to chronic neck and spinal pain Ebdon announced his retirement from professional snooker on 30 April 2020, stating that he was unwilling to undergo spinal surgery in an effort to remain in the sport.
Known for his intensity and his often controversially slow playing style, Ebdon made 377 in professional competition, including two . Since retiring as a player, Ebdon has coached and mentored current professionals including Shaun Murphy, Jack Lisowski, Anthony McGill, Elliot Slessor, and Kyren Wilson.
He won his first ranking title at the 1993 Grand Prix, defeating Ken Doherty 9–6 in the final. His second title was the 1995 Irish Masters, defeating Stephen Hendry 9–8 in the final, and reached his first Triple Crown final at the 1995 UK Championship, but lost 3–10 to Hendry. He first entered the top 16 for the 1994–95 season, and rose to a career high of third in the 1996–97 season, a position he reached again in the 2002–03 season.
At the 1996 World Snooker Championship, Ebdon defeated Jimmy White in the last 16, Steve Davis in the quarter-finals, and Ronnie O'Sullivan in the semi-finals to reach his first world final, which he lost 12–18 to Hendry. He won the 1997 Thailand Open, defeating Nigel Bond 9–7 in the final; the 2000 British Open, defeating White 9–6 in the final; and the 2001 Scottish Open, defeating Doherty 9–7 in the final.
Ebdon defeated Michael Judge, Joe Perry, Anthony Hamilton, and Matthew Stevens to reach his second world final at the 2002 World Snooker Championship. He won his only world title, clinching an 18–17 victory over Hendry. The Sunday Herald: Cue Peter; Stewart Fisher talks to the champion who believes there is Having started the tournament at odds of 33–1, he stated: "It's what I have been working for and dreaming about for the last 17 years... I wasn't ready to win it six years ago, but I've improved as a player and as a person".
At the 2006 World Snooker Championship, Ebdon led Marco Fu 15–9 in the semi-finals. Fu won seven of the next eight frames to tie the scores at 16–16, but Ebdon won the deciding frame to reach his third world final, where he faced Graeme Dott. Trailing 7–15 before the final session, Ebdon won six successive frames, but Dott won the match 18–14. Later that year, Ebdon won his second Triple Crown title at the 2006 UK Championship, defeating Ding Junhui in the quarter-finals, John Higgins in the semi-finals, and Hendry 10–6 in the final.
At the 2008 World Championship, Ebdon defeated Mark King 13–9 in the second round to reach the quarter-finals. He lost 9–13 to Ali Carter, who made a maximum break during the match. This was the last time Ebdon featured in the later stages of a World Championship; his final seven Crucible appearances all ended in first-round defeats.
In the 2008 Northern Ireland Trophy, Ebdon lost 0–5 to Liang Wenbo, making a highest break of 32. After the match, the Gambling Commission expressed concern about attempts by punters to place unusually large bets for Ebdon to lose 0–5 and not to make a break over 50. However, the WPBSA did not instigate a match-fixing investigation. Ebdon won the 2009 China Open with a 10–8 victory over John Higgins in the final, but lost 5–10 to Bond in the first round of the 2009 World Championship. After a disappointing 2009–10 season, Ebdon lost 5–10 to Dott in the first round of the 2010 World Championship. This result ended Ebdon's 16 consecutive seasons ranked within the top 16 in the world rankings. Ebdon stated he was "bitterly disappointed but also very proud" to have been in the top 16 for so many years.
At the 2010 World Open, Ebdon reached the semi-finals, losing 1–3 to O'Sullivan. His first semi-final appearance since the 2009 China Open, it saw him re-enter the top 16. Ebdon lost in the first round of the 2010 UK Championship and lost 8–10 to Stuart Bingham in the first round of the 2011 World Championship. However, Ebdon was ranked number 13 at the end of the season.
Ebdon won the 2012 China Open, defeating John Higgins, Neil Robertson, and Ding before beating Stephen Maguire 10–9 in the final. This boosted his ranking to number 21. During the final, he recorded his 300th century break. At the 2012 World Championship, he recorded a 10–0 whitewash over Alfred Burden in qualifying, but lost 4–10 to O'Sullivan in the first round. He finished the season ranked world number 20.
Ebdon began the 2012–13 season by qualifying for the Wuxi Classic, but lost 4–5 to Bingham in the first round. At the Australian Goldfields Open, he defeated Michael Holt, Ding, and Shaun Murphy, all by 5–4 scorelines. His match against Ding provoked controversy, with Ebdon recording an average shot time of 32 seconds in a nine-frame encounter that lasted almost five hours. Judd Trump on Twitter called it a "joke" that Ebdon was permitted to play so slowly. In the semi-finals, Ebdon defeated Fu 6–2, despite his opponent having an over 90 percent pot success, 80 percent long pot success, and 80 percent safety success. Facing Barry Hawkins in the final, Ebdon lost 3–9, admitting afterwards that he had struggled in every department of his game. He lost in the first round of the 2012 Shanghai Masters, but reached the semi-finals of the inaugural 2012 International Championship, where he lost 1–9 to Trump.
By qualifying for the 2013 World Championship, Ebdon equalled Steve Davis's then-record 22 consecutive appearances in the tournament. He faced Dott in a match that lasted seven hours, spread over three sessions, as Ebdon recovered from 2–6 behind to level at 6–6, before losing 6–10. After the match, Dott called for rules to combat slow play. Ebdon fell to world number 30 in the world rankings after the tournament.
Ebdon's run of 22 consecutive Crucible appearances ended at the 2014 World Snooker Championship, when he lost 8–10 to Robin Hull in qualifying, missing the event's main stage for the first time since turning professional. He failed to qualify for the event again in 2015, losing 7–10 to Stuart Carrington in the second qualifying round.
Ebdon reached his 18th and last ranking event final at the 2018 Paul Hunter Classic, where he lost 2–4 to Kyren Wilson. He played his last professional match at the 2020 German Masters qualifiers in December 2019, losing 4–5 to Stevens. Following months of chronic neck and spinal pain, Ebdon announced his retirement from professional snooker on 30 April 2020, stating that he was unwilling to undergo spinal surgery in an effort to remain in the sport.
He attended Highbury Grove School, where he played oboe in the school orchestra, studied Latin and Greek language, and represented North London at cricket. He dropped out of school to pursue his snooker career, after which his father did not speak to him for six months. Ebdon later stated that he regretted not sitting his O levels.
In the early years of his professional career, Ebdon became known for wearing his hair in a ponytail. He is also colour blind. While playing snooker, he often asked the referee for help on distinguishing the brown ball from red balls. In several notable matches, Ebdon played foul shots because he confused the two colours.
He had four children with his first wife Deborah. In 2005, he emigrated to Dubai with his wife and children, stating that the move was due to tax reasons, lower crime rates, and better weather. He lived there until 2009, when he announced that he and Deborah had separated by mutual consent after 16 years of marriage. In 2010, Ebdon married his second wife, Nora, whom he first met at a players' party at a snooker event in Austria. After their marriage, they lived in Nora's home country of Hungary. Ebdon was declared bankrupt in 2015.
Ebdon became known for his focus on fitness, including swimming one mile every day. In 2012, he adopted a vegan diet. He is a devotee of Napoleon Hill's motivational book Think and Grow Rich. In 2018, he became a professional healer at the College of Healing in Malvern. He has a longstanding interest in breeding racehorses. He has released three music singles.
Shortly after his retirement, Ebdon was criticised for promoting conspiracy theories. In a May 2020 interview on BBC Radio 5 Live, he discussed the COVID-19 pandemic, calling social distancing guidelines "harmful", stating that people were being "brainwashed", and claiming that the public was "facing the greatest psychological operation in history". During the interview, Ebdon referenced individuals who had made unsubstantiated claims about topics such as the September 11 attacks and the Manchester Arena bombing, prompting Telegraph sports journalist James Corrigan to ask if winning the World Snooker Championship "gives you the right to propagate wild conspiracy theories on a national radio show".
| RankingFrom the 2010/2011 season it shows the ranking at the beginning of the season. | New players on the Main Tour don't have a ranking. | 47 | 21 | 10 | 10 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 13 | 12 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 14 | 18 | 13 | 20 | 30 | 25 | 31 | 31 | 40 | 55 | 47 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ranking tournaments | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Riga MastersThe event was called the Riga Open (2014/2015–2015/2016) | Tournament Not Held | MR | LQ | 1R | LQ | LQ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International Championship | Tournament Not Held | SF | QF | 3R | 2R | LQ | 1R | LQ | 1R | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| China Championship | Tournament Not Held | NR | 1R | 1R | LQ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| English Open | Tournament Not Held | 1R | 1R | 2R | 1R | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World OpenThe event was called the Grand Prix (1991/1992–2000/2001 and 2004/2005–2009/2010), the LG Cup (2001/2002–2003/2004) and the Haikou World Open (2011/2012–2013/2014) | 3R | 3R | W | 3R | 3R | 1R | 1R | QF | 1R | 3R | F | 2R | 2R | 3R | 2R | RR | QF | 2R | QF | SF | LQ | 1R | LQ | Not Held | 1R | 3R | 1R | WD | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northern Ireland Open | Tournament Not Held | 3R | 1R | QF | 2R | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| UK Championship | LQ | 1R | 2R | SF | F | 1R | 2R | 1R | 1R | 3R | QF | SF | 3R | 3R | 3R | W | 1R | 2R | 2R | 1R | LQ | LQ | 2R | 3R | 4R | 1R | 2R | 2R | 2R | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Scottish OpenThe event was called the International Open (1992/1993–1996/1997) and the Players Championship (2003/2004) | NH | 3R | 1R | 3R | 1R | SF | 3R | 3R | 3R | W | SF | 2R | SF | Tournament Not Held | MR | Not Held | 2R | 3R | 1R | 3R | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| European MastersThe event was called the Irish Open (1998/1999) and Malta Cup (2004/2005–2007/2008) | 1R | 2R | LQ | 1R | F | QF | NH | 2R | Not Held | 1R | SF | 1R | 2R | 1R | SF | NR | Tournament Not Held | LQ | 2R | 1R | LQ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| German MastersThe event was called the German Open (1995/1996–1997/1998) | Tournament Not Held | 2R | 1R | 1R | NR | Tournament Not Held | 2R | 1R | 1R | 2R | 2R | LQ | 1R | LQ | 2R | LQ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Grand Prix | Tournament Not Held | NR | 2R | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Welsh Open | LQ | 1R | SF | SF | QF | 2R | SF | 3R | SF | 2R | QF | 1R | 3R | QF | 2R | 2R | 2R | 1R | 1R | 2R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 3R | 2R | 2R | 3R | 1R | WD | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shoot-Out | Tournament Not Held | Non-Ranking Event | A | 2R | 1R | A | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tournament Not Held | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | 1R | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gibraltar Open | Tournament Not Held | MR | 3R | 1R | 2R | A | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tour Championship | Tournament Not Held | DNQ | DNQ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Championship | QF | 1R | 1R | QF | F | 1R | QF | 1R | 1R | QF | W | QF | 1R | SF | F | 2R | QF | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | LQ | LQ | 1R | 1R | LQ | LQ | A | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Non-ranking tournaments | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tournament Not Held | 2R | 2R | 2R | NH | RR | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Masters | LQ | LQ | QF | SF | 1R | QF | 1R | 1R | 1R | QF | QF | 1R | QF | SF | QF | 1R | QF | 1R | QF | QF | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Championship League | Tournament Not Held | A | RR | RR | RR | RR | RR | RR | RR | A | A | A | A | A | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Seniors Championship | A | Tournament Not Held | 1R | A | A | A | 1R | 1R | A | A | A | A | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Former ranking tournaments | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Classic | LQ | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Strachan OpenThe event was called the Strachan Challenge (1992/1993–1993/1994) | 1R | MR | NR | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dubai ClassicThe event was called the Thailand Classic (1995/1996) and the Asian Classic (1996/1997) | 1R | 3R | QF | F | 2R | QF | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Malta Grand Prix | Not Held | Non-Ranking Event | 1R | NR | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Thailand MastersThe event was called the Asian Open (1991/1992–1992/1993) and the Thailand Open (1993/1994–1996/1997) | 1R | 1R | QF | QF | SF | W | QF | 2R | 1R | 1R | 2R | NR | Not Held | NR | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| British Open | LQ | 3R | 1R | 3R | QF | SF | 1R | QF | F | W | QF | 3R | 3R | 2R | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Irish Masters | Non-Ranking Event | 2R | W | 1R | NH | NR | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northern Ireland Trophy | Tournament Not Held | NR | 2R | QF | 2R | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bahrain Championship | Tournament Not Held | 1R | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wuxi ClassicThe event was called the Jiangsu Classic (2008/2009–2009/2010) | Tournament Not Held | Non-Ranking Event | 1R | 1R | LQ | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Australian Goldfields OpenThe event was called the Australian Open (1994/1995) and the Australian Masters (1995/1996) | Not Held | NR | Tournament Not Held | 1R | F | LQ | 2R | LQ | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shanghai Masters | Tournament Not Held | 1R | 1R | 1R | 2R | 1R | 1R | LQ | LQ | 1R | LQ | LQ | NR | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Paul Hunter ClassicThe event was called the Grand Prix Fürth (2004/2005) and the Fürth German Open (2005/2006–2006/2007) | Tournament Not Held | Pro-am Event | Minor-Ranking Event | WD | 3R | F | NR | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Indian Open | Tournament Not Held | 1R | 2R | NH | QF | LQ | 2R | NH | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| China OpenThe event was called the China International (1997/1998–1998/1999) | Tournament Not Held | NR | 2R | 1R | 2R | 1R | Not Held | 1R | 2R | 1R | 2R | W | QF | QF | W | 1R | 3R | 2R | 1R | LQ | 1R | 2R | NH | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Former non-ranking tournaments | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Indian Masters | NH | RR | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Belgian Masters | A | 1R | Not Held | A | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| European Challenge | A | QF | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tenball | Not Held | Tenball | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Malta Grand Prix | Not Held | SF | W | A | A | A | R | A | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Guangzhou Masters | Tournament Not Held | SF | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pontins Professional | A | A | A | W | SF | A | A | A | A | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| German Masters | Tournament Not Held | Ranking Event | 1R | Tournament Not Held | Ranking Event | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Champions CupThe event was called the Charity Challenge (1994/1995–1998/1999) | Not Held | 1R | SF | SF | 1R | 1R | A | A | SF | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Scottish Masters | A | A | A | A | F | W | QF | QF | LQ | A | 1R | QF | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northern Ireland Trophy | Tournament Not Held | 1R | Ranking Event | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Irish Masters | A | A | 1R | W | QF | SF | 1R | SF | A | SF | F | Ranking Event | NH | A | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pot Black | A | A | QF | Tournament Not Held | A | SF | QF | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| European Open | Ranking Event | Tournament Not Held | Ranking Event | RR | Tournament Not Held | Ranking Event | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hainan Classic | Tournament Not Held | RR | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wuxi Classic | Tournament Not Held | RR | RR | A | QF | Ranking Event | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Brazil Masters | Tournament Not Held | SF | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Premier LeagueThe event was called the Matchroom League (1991/1992) and the European League (1992/1993–1996/1997) | A | RR | A | A | SF | SF | A | A | A | A | A | SF | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | RR | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Grand Prix | Tournament Not Held | QF | Ranking Event | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shoot-Out | Tournament Not Held | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 2R | 2R | Ranking Event | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| LQ | lost in the qualifying draw | #R | lost in the early rounds of the tournament (WR = Wildcard round, RR = Round robin) | QF | lost in the quarter-finals |
| SF | lost in the semi-finals | F | lost in the final | W | won the tournament |
| DNQ | did not qualify for the tournament | A | did not participate in the tournament | WD | withdrew from the tournament |
| DQ | disqualified from the tournament |
| event was not held. |
| event is/was no longer a ranking event. |
| event is/was a ranking event. |
| means an event is/was a minor-ranking event. |
| means an event is/was a pro-am event. |
| World Championship (1–2) |
| UK Championship (1–1) |
| Other (7–6) |
| Winner | 1. | 1993 | Grand Prix | Ken Doherty | 9–6 |
| Runner-up | 1. | 1994 | Dubai Classic | Alan McManus | 6–9 |
| Runner-up | 2. | 1995 | UK Championship | Stephen Hendry | 3–10 |
| Runner-up | 3. | 1996 | European Open | John Parrott | 7–9 |
| Runner-up | 4. | 1996 | World Snooker Championship | Stephen Hendry | 12–18 |
| Winner | 2. | 1997 | Thailand Open | Nigel Bond | 9–7 |
| Runner-up | 5. | 1999 | British Open | Stephen Hendry | 5–9 |
| Winner | 3. | 2000 | British Open | Jimmy White | 9–6 |
| Winner | 4. | 2001 | Scottish Open | Ken Doherty | 9–7 |
| Runner-up | 6. | 2001 | LG Cup | Stephen Lee | 4–9 |
| Winner | 5. | 2002 | World Snooker Championship | Stephen Hendry | 18–17 |
| Winner | 6. | 2004 | Irish Masters | Mark King | 10–7 |
| Runner-up | 7. | 2006 | World Snooker Championship (2) | Graeme Dott | 14–18 |
| Winner | 7. | 2006 | UK Championship | Stephen Hendry | 10–6 |
| Winner | 8. | 2009 | China Open | John Higgins | 10–8 |
| Winner | 9. | 2012 | China Open (2) | Stephen Maguire | 10–9 |
| Runner-up | 8. | 2012 | Australian Goldfields Open | Barry Hawkins | 3–9 |
| Runner-up | 9. | 2018 | Paul Hunter Classic | Kyren Wilson | 2–4 |
| Winner | 1. | 1991 | Finnish Open | Mike Henson | 6–3 |
| Winner | 2. | 1992 | Finnish Open | Mark King | 6–4 |
| Winner | 3. | 1995 | Irish Masters | 9–8 | |
| Winner | 4. | 1995 | Pontins Professional | 9–8 | |
| Runner-up | 1. | 1995 | Scottish Masters | 5–9 | |
| Winner | 5. | 1995 | Malta Grand Prix | 7–4 | |
| Winner | 6. | 1996 | Scottish Masters | 9–6 | |
| Runner-up | 2. | 2002 | Irish Masters | 3–10 |
| Winner | 1. | 1989 | Pontins Spring Open | 7–4 | |
| Winner | 2. | 1990 | Dutch Open | 6–4 | |
| Runner-up | 1. | 1995 | Pontins Spring Open | 4–7 | |
| Winner | 3. | 2015 | Vienna Snooker Open | 5–3 | |
| Winner | 4. | 2016 | Vienna Snooker Open (2) | 5–1 |
| Winner | 1. | 1995 | Lowen Sport European Pro-Am | Tim Price | Willie Thorne Dieter Johns | 10–6 |
| Winner | 1. | 1990 | IBSF World Under-21 Championship | Oliver King | 11–9 |
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