John Higgins

Known famously in the snooker community as “Wizard of Wishaw” is John Higgins, one of the best to grace the game.

Higgins became the first player to record four consecutive century breaks in a major tournament. The breaks recorded were 103, 104, 138, and 128.

Similarly, he is one of only five players in history to win both the World and UK Championships in the same year.

In 2008, Higgins’ contribution to the country earned him the title of Member of the Order of the British Empire.

In this article, you will get more information regarding the snooker champion. So, let’s dig deeper into John Higgin’s early life, height, weight, career, and other information.

Also, here are some quick facts about Higgins before we head any further into the details.

Quick Facts

Name John Higgins
Birth Name John Higgins MBE
Nickname “The Wizard of Wishaw”
Birth Date 18 May 1975
Birth Place Wishaw, North Lanarkshire, Scotland
Age 47 Years Old
Zodiac sign Taurus
Chinese Zodiac Rabbit
Nationality Scottish
Sexual Orientation Straight
Body Type Athletic
Hair Color Salt and Pepper
Eye Color Brown
Skin Fair
Height 5 ft 88 in (1.73 m)
Weight 168 lb. (76 kg)
Profession Snooker Player
Debut Age 16
Professional Years 1992–present
Current Ranking   7 (as of 8 Nov 2021)
Highest Break     147
No. of Highest Break 12
Century Breaks    854
World Championship Wins 1998, 2007, 2009 and 2011
Tournament Wins 31 (Ranking), 3 (Minor Ranking), 19 (non-Ranking)
Education St Aidan’s High School
Parents John Higgins Sr. (Father)
Josephine Higgins (Mother)
Relationship Status Married
Wife Denise Higgins
Children Oliver Higgins (Son),
Pierce Higgin (Son),
Claudia Higgins (Daughter).
Gender Male
Hobbies Poker and supports Celtic Football Club
Net Worth $ 11.2 Million (2021)
Social Media Not Available
Last Update July, 2022

John Higgins | Background Information

John Higgins was born in Wishaw, North Lanarkshire, Scotland, on May 18, 1975. On the outskirts of the Clyde Valley, in the same city, he was raised.

He was a son of Josephine Higgins and John Higgins Sr. About his parents, personal lives, and childhood, not much is known. Likewise, it’s unclear whence he got the idea to start playing snooker.

However, John began playing snooker with his buddies at a young age. So, in a roundabout way, this pastime provided him with training.

Higgins also learned that he enjoyed himself while doing it and that he was good at it. So, at the age of 16, he made the decision to go pro.

At this point, he had won a few amateur competitions. He reached the British Open quarterfinals during his first campaign.

John Higgins: Prodigious Rise in Professional Career

In his snooker career, John Higgins experienced a somewhat peculiar ascent. Higgins won his first ranking competition in the Grand Prix in the 1994/1995 season, two years after turning professional.

When Higgins defeated Dave Harold to secure the victory, he was only 19 years old. After then, John didn’t look back.

The next year, he eventually went on to win two more ranking tournaments. While competing in the Welsh Open and Masters finals, he won the British Open and the International Open.

He did rise phenomenally. By the end of the season, John had climbed from 51st to 11th in the global rankings. After that, he was impossible to stop.

As a result, at the end of the next season, he had moved up to second in the world. In the 1994/1995 season, he earned two ranking victories and another ranking final.

John also achieved his first World Championship victory in 1998. In the final, he triumphed over the current champion Ken Doherty. He also established a record with 14 centuries, which Hendry later surpassed.

Higgins won the world title as a result, rising to the top for the first time. He ended Stephen Hendry’s eight-year dominance at the top as well.

Keeping the Top Spot

Before Mark Williams replaced Higgins at the top of the rankings at the conclusion of the 1999–2000 season, Higgins held the World No. 1 ranking for two years.

He fell to Ronnie O’Sullivan 14-18 in the World Championship final in 2001. However, he didn’t let this setback deter him and continued to work harder than before.

John therefore became the first player to triumph in the season’s opening three competitions. By winning the British Open, Scottish Masters, and Champions Cup in the 2001–2002 season, he set this record.

Notably, John Higgins and Ronnie O’Sullivan were becoming rivals. The pair competed in the finals of the Masters Final in 2005 and 2006. Ronnie defeated Higgins 3-10 in 2005.

Higgins, though, won 10-9 and claimed the Masters championship for the second time in 2006 thanks to a 64 clearance.

The Highest

John Higgins’ career as a player was defined by the second half of the 2000s. In 2007, he advanced to the final of the World Championship after overcoming the likes of Ronnie O’Sullivan and Stephen Maguire.

John went on to win four consecutive sets to win the finals and reclaimed the number one ranking in the world.

Similarly, John defeated Shaun Murphy in the final to win the World Championship 2009 for the third time.

In the 2009–10 season, he lost to Neil Robertson in the Grand Prix semi-final. After that, he won the Welsh Open by defeating Allister Carter 9–4 in the final.

John did fall short in the World Championship, losing to Steve Davis in round two. Nonetheless, he concluded the season as World No. 1.

The Series of Unfortunate Events

The decade of 2010 couldn’t have started worse. Instead, it signaled the beginning of a tumultuous chapter in Higgin’s snooker career.

On May 2, 2010, John Higgins and his management were accused of match-fixing. A sting operation verified this information by the News of the World.

Consequently, he was suspended for a total of six months and fined a sum of £75,000. Higgins made his professional comeback on November 12, 2010. He went on to win the Ruhr Championship.

Moreover, his comeback was nothing short of a fairy tale return as he secured the 2010 UK Championship. John scored enough points to restore his status as World No. 1 after dropping to third due to the ban.

2011 reinvented his career as he went on to win the World Championship for the fourth time. He defeated the likes of Stephen Lee and O’Sullivan to secure this win.

However, his father had been fighting cancer for five years. But, his health began to deteriorate about the time he was suspected of match-fixing. Eventually, he lost his dad on February 4, 2011.

John always looked up to his father as an inspiration. As a result, there was a significant decline in his form after his dad passed away.

Hitting the Slump

John Higgins had a poor 2011–12 season soon after his dad deceased. He was able to finish in the quarterfinals of only two major ranking competitions. Hence, he completed the season ranked fifth in the world.

John tired resurging fresh the next season of 2012-13 by winning the Shanghai Masters. However, Higgins was eliminated in the first round of the World Championship against Mark Davis.

As a result, he ended 11th place, his first time out of the top ten in 17 seasons. The next 2013-14 wasn’t any different as he slid to 12th in the global rankings.

John failed to advance past the final 16 of any tournaments since the Wuxi Classic in June 2013. Subsequent defeats followed John in this volatile period. Hence, it was no surprise when Higgins arrived at the 2014 UK Championship with a lack of confidence.

Furthermore, there was a fear that a terrible performance may cost him his top-16 status and a position in the Masters. Instead, he fared well enough to retain him in the top 16 after the end of the event.

The Rebound

Slowly, he rediscovered his form and confidence at the Welsh Open in 2015. He recorded a fourth Welsh Open championship and his first ranking victory in two and a half years.

Moreover, he sustained this trend as he began the 2015–16 season with a bang, winning the Australian Goldfields Open. Similarly, he won the International Championship, collecting his 28th ranking triumph.

John was rising again after everything he had gone through. In 2016, he won the China Championship and the Champion of Champions.

By 2017, he reached the World Championship final for the sixth time. However, he couldn’t clinch the title as he lost against Mark Shelby.

History repeated in 2018 when he advanced to the 2018 World Snooker Championship final. This final was his sixth World Championship final, but Mark Williams defeated him.

Furthermore, he came short of the title as Judd Trump in the finals defeated him. This tournament was his third World Championship final in a row and his eighth overall.

John seems to be closer to the ultimate reward, but he continues falling short at the final hurdle. So, it seems he’ll have to wait a bit further till he grabs that peak again.

John Higgins | Match-Fixing Scandal and Controversy

John Higgins’s career took the most major blow when he and Pat Mooney were accused of match-fixing. Mooney was his manager and board member of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association.

On April 30, an undercover team led by Mazher Mahmood visited the duo in a hotel room in Kyiv. The squad was under the premise of planning a series of activities relating to the World Series of Snooker.

John agreed to lose four frames in four distinct events as per sources. But, they demanded an exchange for a total compensation of €300,000.

Consequently, John was instantly ejected from the game. However, on the same day, Higgins published a statement denying any involvement. Furthermore, he explained that he opted to “play along” out of worry for his safety.

David Douglas did a thorough assessment of the claims. Additionally, there were independent investigations. Both reports decided Higgins had truthfully accounted for his remarks and actions.

Nonetheless, they did found him guilty of giving the idea he would break betting laws. Therefore, he was barred from the professional scene for six months.

Is John Higgins Married? | Know About His Marital Status

As per prominent sites like Webarchive and FreeLibrary, John has been married to Denise Higgins since 2000. Also, they have three children in the form of two sons and a girl.

Denise has known John since they were both at Wishaw High School. Yet, he hasn’t allowed his success to get the best of him.

Denise has always expressed the Higgins family to be average persons. The family is always down to earth and finds attention to be overpowering.

As of the present, the duo lives with their kids in a separate, contemporary property in Lanarkshire. They have a house in Marbella and enjoy lovely vacations.

Furthermore, the couple has made cameos too. John and his wife Denise went on ITV’s Mr. and Mrs. in February 2010. After accurately answering all of their questions, they reached the final to collect £30,000 and donated to The Dalziel Centre.

John Higgins | Age, Height and Personality

Higgins is a professional snooker player with the physique to match his athleticism on the table.

John is currently 47 years of age. However, Higgins still appears fresh and athletic enough to participate in the snooker world. He has considered retiring, but his love for the sport keeps him at bay.

Moreover, he weighs roughly 168 lb. (76 kg) and stands at an incredible height of 5 ft. 88 in (1.73 m) (1.73 m).

It’s apparent from his images that he’s kept himself up to the professional league’s standards. His true body proportions are Chest Size (44), Biceps Size  (14), and Waist Size (36). (36).

Furthermore, John has a down-to-earth disposition. Maybe it belongs to the fact that he might have easily given up between the cracks. But he has persevered and maintained his point of view.

Additionally, John has supported Celtic F.C. since he was a toddler. His hobbies include playing poker watching Premier League team Everton play.

John Higgins | Net Worth & Earnings

John Higgins accounts for much of his net worth as a professional snooker player. Since his professional debut at a young age, he has played in various competitions.

According to accounts, he has won more than $9.2 million in tournament prizes alone. As of recent, he made GBP 30,000 from his top 8 finish at the 2020 Tour Championship.

He has various brand sponsorships to his name because he is one of the top snooker players in the world. The most significant is with Negotiate Now, a firm director in his own country. This contract earned him between £50,000 and £100,000 per year.

Per Sporting Free, he is the third richest all-time snooker player internationally. Hence, his net worth is projected to be over $11.2 million.

Queries on social media

What was his controversy with Gary Wilson?

After missing an easy red ball, John’s opponent Gary Wilson took an illegal second shot and blasted another red into the corner pocket. Gary was fined and apologized to John Higgins immediately.

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