Gary Wilson opens up on yips after Crucible exit to Judd Trump

April 23, 2026 Aksel Kryhlmand

According to Anthony Evans, Craig Swan and Kieran Horn’s report in the Express, Wilson reacted angrily to the suggestion that he had started well before fading. After taking a 4-1 lead, the 40 year old lost control of the match and was beaten 10-5 by Trump in the first round at the Crucible.

Wilson said the issue was not composure or poor decision making, but a long running battle with the yips that is affecting both his timing and cue action. In a striking post match interview, he said he has been trying to hide the extent of the problem for years and feels too many people around the sport still misunderstand what he is dealing with.

Wilson says pundits are missing the real issue

Wilson’s frustration was aimed as much at the conversation around his form as at the defeat itself. He said players, commentators and other figures in snooker should know the difference between a player losing focus and a player fighting a technical problem that has become deeply ingrained.

He described himself as “masking problems” throughout matches and said the balls may still go in, but his cueing often leaves him out of position because shots are not being delivered cleanly. His point was blunt, the outside view can make a frame look normal, while the player feels everything is off underneath it.

That is why he pushed back at references to composure and shot selection. In Wilson’s view, those explanations are too simple for a problem that has moved beyond nerves and into something physical.

A battle Wilson says has grown worse with time

Wilson linked his current struggles to earlier periods in his career, including his run to the semi finals at the 2019 World Championship. He said he was already having trouble then, but believes the problem is now far more severe.

He explained that one version of the yips can stop a player from pushing the cue through at all. His version, he said, is different, he rushes through the shot, almost trying to get it over with, and the movement becomes hard to control. Once that pattern settles in, he suggested, it becomes habit rather than a passing dip in confidence.

According to the World Snooker Tour match centre, Wilson did make a strong start against Trump before the match swung sharply the other way. But his comments after the loss made clear he did not see that opening spell as evidence that his game was in good shape.

Trump moves on while Wilson faces a deeper problem

According to TNT Sports’ tournament coverage, Trump advanced to the last 16 after winning nine of the final ten frames. On the scoreboard, it was a convincing response from the world number one after an uncertain opening.

For Wilson, though, the bigger story was not the result itself. His interview turned the focus toward a problem that cannot be fixed between sessions and cannot be explained away as a bad day. He spoke like a player who knows exactly what is wrong, but still cannot make his arm do what his mind wants.

That left his exit feeling heavier than a routine first round defeat. Trump moved on in the tournament. Wilson walked away still searching for a way to trust his own game again.

Sources: Express, World Snooker Tour, TNT Sports