A biography for Stephen Hendryhasn’t been written yet.
“I don't think about technique. I just pot the balls.”
“Since he was born, Mandy and I have hoped to give Blaine a brother or sister.”
“For me, winning was 'job done.' I would practise the day after.”
“It is just down to confidence. When I haven't got any, I hate playing the game.”
“Maybe I wish I could be out there on the big occasions playing like I did at my peak, but I certainly don't miss the six and seven hours a day practice that went hand in hand with being world champion in the nineties - or losing to guys knowing that it would never have happened when I was at my best.”
“I can't overstate the part the yips played in bringing my career to a close.”
“These days, you can watch many different sports; you are saturated with it 24 hours a day. And young boys all want to be footballers because you don't even need to be that good, and you can still earn £100,000 a week.”
“I obviously know how good I was, and people refer to the modern game being tougher.”
“The memories for the missed opportunities are stronger than for the ones I managed to get over the line in.”
“You benefit from deep inner belief of having wins behind you, so you get to the table, and you know you're not going to miss.”
“I never dreamed, when I received a small table for a Christmas present from my parents, I would have the career that I did or achieve so much.”
“The tip I would give is that once you play the shot, make sure your chin is touching the cue after you hit the cue ball.”
“Reading from cover to cover - I'm not a great reader.”
“Judd Trump loves playing against the top players.”
“I enjoy commentating on the big tournaments for the BBC, the occasional exhibition match, and my business interests.”
“My form's good in practice, but that doesn't count for anything, really.”
“In around 2000, I became aware of a recurring problem of the 'tightness' around my cueing action, which somehow stops me believing that I can play the shot - even shots I could previously play with my eyes shut.”
“I loved being the best player in the world. There was no pressure staying there.”
“In the '90s, I never socialised with other players.”
“Ever since I was a kid, I'd imagine that I was making a break to win the world championship.”