Nick Metcalfe Snooker Column: Kyren Wilson won the Masters because he's the bravest player in snooker today

Kyren Wilson is celebrating victory at the Masters, a success that cements his status as a superstar of modern snooker.

The Englishman has joined a very special club indeed, players that have won the World Championship and the Masters in their career. He's the real deal and there's so much more to come.

It's particularly impressive when you consider the state that Wilson was in at the UK Championship in York just seven weeks ago.

After losing to Elliot Slessor at the last 32 stage, Wilson said: "You were very close to seeing someone have a mental breakdown out there."

We already knew that Wilson had been suffering "emotionally and mentally" in the earlier months of the season due to his wife Sophie struggling with health issues.

On top of that his trusty cue - the one he used when winning the world title in 2024 - had been ruined due to a "freak accident". He was clearly very uncomfortable with a replacement cue he used in his meeting with Slessor at the Barbican.

Thankfully, Wilson was painting a much brighter picture two weeks later at the Scottish Open - armed with a new cue and speaking well of it - and that piece of wood has taken him to the heights again.

The 34-year-old is right where he wants to be at the start of 2026, claiming the Masters crown thanks to a couple of Houdini act 6-5 wins against Neil Robertson and Wu Yize, and then a 10-6 victory over John Higgins in Sunday's final.

Do you know what struck me on a number of occasions during the event? I believe what ultimately won Wilson this title was his pure aggression on the table. He is now, for me, the bravest shot maker in snooker.

Wilson wasn't really at his very best during the Masters. He said as much himself following the final. But throughout the tournament, he never backed down. He always looked to take the positive shot on.

There were times when I thought he might be pushing the boat out a bit too much. He has a tendency to crash the cue ball into the pack of reds, or develop balls off cushions, earlier than is customary.

Frankly, Wilson is always thinking about how he can get the upper hand and then stay in that position. He wants to stamp his authority on every moment, every match. It's a compelling watch.

Wilson was 5-4 down to Robertson and under huge pressure in the quarter-finals. The Australian just played what BBC commentator John Virgo said was "as good a safety shot as Neil has played all night".

The cue ball was tight against the baulk cushion. A pot barely seemed possible. Yet Wilson smashed home a red from distance. It was outrageous. And it led to a break of 111 to level the match. Soon after that, he took the deciding frame too.

Wu was similarly close to knocking Wilson out in the semi-finals, leading 5-4 and ahead in frame ten. What did Wilson do? He took on an audacious red to a blind middle pocket to set up a possible counter attack. He then developed the blue off the side cushion after potting the final red. Many players would have waited until later. Frame won for 5-5. Match won shortly after.

Wilson continued in that attacking vein throughout the final against Higgins. Always on the front foot. Making things happen. It must be so disconcerting to play against.

I spoke to 1997 world champion Ken Doherty at Alexandra Palace for my Radio Snooker service and put to him my assertion that nobody in the game is currently more positive with their play than Wilson.

"I completely agree, he is the most aggressive player," Doherty said. "He's changed his game since he won the World Championship. He's speeded up around the table. I like the way he's playing.

"I like the positivity around him, the way he stomps around the table and gets the balls open. As well as a warrior, he's a great entertainer."

The contrast between Wilson and Judd Trump struck me too. Now, let's be clear here. World number one Trump isn't doing a lot wrong, despite being without a tournament win for over a year now. He still keeps coming mighty close to the prizes.

Trump only narrowly lost the UK final to Mark Selby last month and was on the verge of being in another Masters final, before Higgins came from 5-3 down to win 6-5 in the last four.

But I tell you what Trump is not doing all the time now. He's not taking that aggressive approach. A few times during the Masters, seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry expressed his amazement in the BBC commentary box about the shots that Trump was turning down.

In his first-round match against Ding Junhui, Trump was 3-1 ahead and 54-0 in front in frame five when he faced an awkward thin red. Hendry was incandescent when he refused it and instead played a safety shot (a poor one as it happens - Ding went on to pinch the frame).

If I was a Trump fan, I'd want him to rediscover that devil-may-care approach, and quickly. It could well be down to a slight loss of confidence due to his wait for a trophy. Whatever it is, backing down from the boldest shots just doesn't work for Trump.

I don't mean to single out the Bristol man either. Plenty of other top players pale in comparison to Wilson in this regard too. Doherty pointed out that Wilson is also more aggressive than Robertson, who has traditionally been seen as an attacking player.

It won't always work for Wilson of course. Sometimes he loses a frame because he's taken one risk too many. But more often than not, it pays dividends. It really is the way to win and win big in today's snooker.

Congratulations to Wilson. He didn't just win that Masters trophy. He grabbed it. He seized it.

Maybe fortune does still favour the brave.

Fans love this must-see event in dreary January

Let's be honest, this wasn't a vintage Masters. The first four days were really ordinary, despite the statistical sideshow of all those 6-2 results.

We did have some fine matches in the later stages. Higgins against Zhao Xintong went all the way in the last eight, as did that Wilson versus Robertson encounter. Both semi-finals were epics too. But the final certainly didn't reach the parts.

Still, that's sport. Not every tournament can be a classic. What we did see again was full houses all week at Ally Pally, in the depths of winter - more than thirty thousand fans attending across the week.

The paying punters showed great enthusiasm and passion throughout. There's still a deep affection out there for this most beguiling and cerebral of sports.

I have no doubt next year's Masters will sell out in double quick time too. The venue might not be perfect - anyone sitting in those cramped seats for any length of time will tell you that - but the good clearly outweighs the bad and it's become something of a must-see event for fans.

Roll on January 2027.