In the professional era that began with Joe Davis in the 1930s and continues until the present day, a relatively small number of players have succeeded at the top level.
Joe Davis was world champion for twenty years, retiring unbeaten after claiming his fifteenth world title in 1946 when the tournament was reinstated after the Second World War.
Davis was unbeaten in World Championship play, and was only ever beaten four times in his entire life, with all four defeats coming after his World Championship retirement and inflicted by his own brother Fred Davis.
He did lose matches in handicapped tournaments, but on level terms these four defeats were the only losses of his entire career.
He was also world billiards champion.
It is regarded as highly unlikely that anyone will ever dominate the game to this level again.

After Davis retired from World Championship play, the next dominant force was his younger brother Fred Davis, who had lost the 1940 final to Joe.
By 1947, Fred Davis was deemed ready by his brother to take over the mantle, but lost the world final to the Scotsman Walter Donaldson.
Davis and Donaldson would contest the next four finals.
After the abandonment of the World Championship in 1953, with the 1952 final boycotted by British professionals, the World Professional Match-play Championship became the unofficial world championship.
Fred Davis won the event every year until its penultimate one, in 1957, which he did not enter.

John Pulman was the most successful player of the 1960s, when the world championship was contested on a challenge basis.
However, when the tournament reverted to a knockout formula in 1969, he did not prosper.
Ray Reardon became the dominant force in the 1970s, winning six titles (1970, 1973–1976 and 1978), with John Spencer winning three.

Steve Davis' first world title in 1981 made him only the 11th world champion since 1927, including the winner of the boycotted 1952 title, Horace Lindrum.
Davis would win six World Championships (1981, 1983, 1984 and 1987–1989), and competed in the most watched snooker match ever, the 1985 World Snooker Championship final with Dennis Taylor.
Stephen Hendry became the 14th in 1990 and dominated through the 1990s, winning seven titles (1990, 1992–1996 and 1999).
Ronnie O'Sullivan is the closest to dominance in the modern era, having won the title on six occasions in the 21st century (2001, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2013, and 2020).
Mark Williams has won three times (2000, 2003 and 2018) and John Higgins four times (1998, 2007, 2009 and 2011), but since the beginning of the century, there has not been a dominant force like in previous decades, and the modern era has seen many players playing to a similar standard, instead of one player raising the bar.
Davis, for example, won more ranking tournaments than the rest of the top 64 players put together by 1985.
By retaining his title in 2013, O'Sullivan became the first player to successfully defend the World Championship since Hendry in 1996 (Mark Selby would also do this in 2017).
In the professional era that began with Joe Davis in the 1930s and continues until the present day, a relatively small number of players have succeeded at the top level. Joe Davis was world champion for twenty years, retiring unbeaten after claiming his fifteenth world title in 1946 when the tournament was reinstated after the Second World War. Davis was unbeaten in World Championship play, and was only ever beaten four times in his entire life, with all four defeats coming after his World Championship retirement and inflicted by his own brother Fred Davis. He did lose matches in handicapped tournaments, but on level terms these four defeats were the only losses of his entire career. He was also world billiards champion. It is regarded as highly unlikely that anyone will ever dominate the game to this level again.
After Davis retired from World Championship play, the next dominant force was his younger brother Fred Davis, who had lost the 1940 final to Joe. By 1947, Fred Davis was deemed ready by his brother to take over the mantle, but lost the world final to the Scotsman Walter Donaldson. Davis and Donaldson would contest the next four finals. After the abandonment of the World Championship in 1953, with the 1952 final boycotted by British professionals, the World Professional Match-play Championship became the unofficial world championship. Fred Davis won the event every year until its penultimate one, in 1957, which he did not enter.
John Pulman was the most successful player of the 1960s, when the world championship was contested on a challenge basis. However, when the tournament reverted to a knockout formula in 1969, he did not prosper. Ray Reardon became the dominant force in the 1970s, winning six titles (1970, 1973–1976 and 1978), with John Spencer winning three.
Steve Davis' first world title in 1981 made him only the 11th world champion since 1927, including the winner of the boycotted 1952 title, Horace Lindrum. Davis would win six World Championships (1981, 1983, 1984 and 1987–1989), and competed in the most watched snooker match ever, the 1985 World Snooker Championship final with Dennis Taylor. Stephen Hendry became the 14th in 1990 and dominated through the 1990s, winning seven titles (1990, 1992–1996 and 1999). Ronnie O'Sullivan is the closest to dominance in the modern era, having won the title on six occasions in the 21st century (2001, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2013, and 2020). Mark Williams has won three times (2000, 2003 and 2018) and John Higgins four times (1998, 2007, 2009 and 2011), but since the beginning of the century, there has not been a dominant force like in previous decades, and the modern era has seen many players playing to a similar standard, instead of one player raising the bar. Davis, for example, won more ranking tournaments than the rest of the top 64 players put together by 1985. By retaining his title in 2013, O'Sullivan became the first player to successfully defend the World Championship since Hendry in 1996 (Mark Selby would also do this in 2017).
Snooker