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Snooker star Stephen Hendry has been back on punditry duty for the 2026 World Snooker Championship and has already seen differences compared to his own days as a player. The Scot has seen a relaxed atmosphere with players laughing and joking with one another - something which he doesn't remember being a feature when he was among those vying for glory at The Crucible. Hendry, 57, won all seven of his world titles in the 90s. His last appearance in the main draw came in 2012, though he lost in qualifying as recently as 2023, and he has more recently been seen as part of the BBC commentary team.

"I basically just looked at my feet and tried to keep in my own space, trying not to look at anything," Hendry told Metro. "If Steve [Davis] was there, he'd be pacing up and down. Everyone would have their own thing. It's funny, you watch Ronnie [O'Sullivan] and he does the same thing every time. He disappears down the corridor and then comes back up. I'm amazed to see a lot of players chatting and laughing and joking before, which I just can't believe. I tended to just look down, look at my feet and not move until my name is called."

It's not just the behaviour of players in their interactions with one another which has surprised Hendry. He also witnessed a shot from Gary Wilson in the opening round which he was willing to declare the best of the tournament.

"You won't see a better positional shot for the rest of the Championship." Hendry said after Wilson got things right in style against Judd Trump. It wasn't enough for the qualifier to cause a shock against the world No.2, though, with Trump prevailing 10-5.

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Speaking to the BBC after his defeat, Wilson laid bare the challenges he has been facing. "It's just constant disappointment. I am, and always have been since the age of 13, a better player than this. It's a constant struggle. The yips are getting worse and I'm just riding through it," the 40-year-old said.

"People are being really naive if I'm being totally honest. People who know snooker are watching going 'you're doing good there, missing all the bad shots, the really snatchy ones and not seeing anything a normal good player would notice'. So that's even frustrating because nobody is even seeing what I'm showing them."

The first 11 matches in the opening round to finish were all won by the seeded players. These included reigning champion Zhao Xintong against Liam Highfield and 2024 champ Kyren Wilson against Stan Moody.