Latest news with #EmilyFrazer
Forbes
21-07-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Inside The $1M World Pool Championship With Matchroom's Emily Frazer
JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA. 09 Jun, 2024. Photo taken during the World Pool Championships 2024 at Green ... More Halls on Sunday, June 09, 2024 in JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA. Credit: Taka Wu/Matchroom Multi Sport The 2025 World Pool Championship, set for July 21–26 in Jeddah, is the pinnacle event of the World Nineball Tour and the richest professional pool tournament of the year. The championship features a record-breaking $1,000,000 prize fund, with a staggering $250,000 awaiting the champion. Returning for its second year to the Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium in Saudi Arabia, the World Pool Championship has transformed the venue into a world-class stage, featuring upgraded aesthetics and a refined layout. Spearheading the tournament is Emily Frazer, CEO of Matchroom Multi-Sport and Director of Matchroom Sport. Through her leadership, Frazer has attracted significant investment, expanded the sport's international footprint, and elevated both its competitive and commercial standards on a global scale. Ticket sales have already surpassed last year's numbers. 'It's only year two, and we're already planning for 2026,' Frazer says. 'The energy behind this event is one of constant progression and relentless ambition.' Last year's Champion, Fedor Gorst, captured his second World Pool Championship title in a gripping 15-14 victory over Eklent Kaçi. At just 24 years old, Gorst became the youngest player to win the event more than once, having first claimed the crown in 2019. World Pool Championship With Matchroom's Emily Frazer, Driving Growth And Visibility JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA. 08 Jun, 2024. Photo taken during the World Pool Championships 2024 at Green ... More Halls on Saturday, June 08, 2024 in JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA. Credit: Taka Wu/Matchroom Multi Sport With more than 150 hours of live and digital coverage, the World Pool Championship's reach is massive. 'We've expanded massively. Four stream tables, over 50 hours of TV, and 100 hours of live streaming. Fans can watch on their phones, tablets, or at work and still feel part of it,' says Frazer. The event will be broadcast on Sky Sports in the UK and across multiple global platforms, including Matchroom's in-house WNT TV. Frazer focused on innovation, explains, 'We introduced a $10,000 prize for the highest break and run. It's our version of a nine-darter or a 147. It rewards individual brilliance and gives lesser-known players a shot at making headlines,' she says. With a focus on global reach, Frazer has made digital engagement a top priority. 'From TikTok live matches to Q&As and behind-the-scenes content, we're meeting fans where they are,' she says. 'We're not afraid to try new things if it brings people closer to the sport.' World Pool Championship With Matchroom's Emily Frazer, Building Player Pathways Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: ? during todays Media Day ahead of his fight this weekend, 4 June 2024 Picture ... More By Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing One of Frazer's most significant contributions has been creating a structured ranking system for the sport. 'Before we introduced our WNT Nineball ranking system, players relied on invites and connections. Now, it's about performance. That's how it should be,' she says. Frazer notes, 'We have players representing every continent, from Asia and Europe to the Americas, with a growing audience in the Middle East. Among the top 128 ranked players, 40 nationalities are represented, a clear sign of the sport's rapid growth.' Of the 128 players in the main draw, 100 earned their place through season-long rankings. The remaining 28 wildcard spots are used to elevate emerging players, local Saudi qualifiers, and women with world champion titles. Frazer is keenly aware of the financial challenges many players face. 'Not everyone can afford to travel or enter every event. Some grind it out locally, collecting ranking points wherever they can,' she says. 'We're working to create more opportunities for players worldwide to get noticed. The goal is to build more household names in pool, just like you see in Formula 1 or darts.' 'It's a balance between showcasing the best in the world and giving fresh faces a platform,' she says. 'There's no guaranteed winner here. That's what makes it so exciting. From defending champions to debutants, there'll be upsets, breakout stars, and players who surprise everyone. That unpredictability is exactly what makes this event must-watch.' She highlights the growth of junior players in particular. 'Felix Vogel was the Saudi Junior Champion last year and now he's playing in the main event. That's the pathway we're building,' Frazer explains. 'The last two junior events saw girls reach the semi-finals. That's what this tour is all about. Girl or boy, we want to make sure every player has a pathway to the top.' World Pool Championship With Matchroom's Emily Frazer, Evolution JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA. July 20: Photo taken during Press Conference prior to the World Pool ... More Championships 2025 at Green Halls on Sunday, July 20, 2025 in JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA. Credit: Taka Wu/Matchroom Multi Sport Frazer's journey within Matchroom began with an internship in poker. Today, she leads a global tour of more than 40 ranking events. 'The turning point was acquiring the US Open in 2019,' she recalls. 'We went from one-table invitational shows to running 35 tables in Las Vegas. It was chaos. Our shipping container didn't arrive on time so we were building sponsored tables out of dining tables and old fabric. But we pulled it off.' That experience set the tone for what followed. 'Back then, maybe eight players in the world were full-time professionals. Now, we're pushing to make that the norm,' she says. The World Nineball Tour now spans the UK, Spain, Vietnam, the Philippines, and more. 'We've built a calendar that gives players more chances to compete, grow their brand, and earn a living,' Frazer says. 'We've also built junior events and women's events into that schedule. We're playing the long game.' World Pool Championship With Matchroom's Emily Frazer, In The Spotlight JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA. July 20, 2025. Emily Frazer. World Pool Championship. Frazer's leadership will soon be on full display in Matchroom: The Greatest Showmen, an upcoming Netflix documentary produced by Box to Box Films, the team behind Formula 1: Drive to Survive. The series will follow her behind the scenes as one of the youngest female CEOs in UK sports. 'It was definitely a new experience but one I loved being part of,' Frazer says. 'Because this has been my day-to-day for so long, I've always thought it was quite normal. But when you take a step back, you realise how different our world is.' The series will spotlight both the glamor and the grind. 'People often see the Instagram cool side. The airports, the lights. But not the hours, the pressure, the stress. This show is going to show both.' Frazer also credits her team and support system. 'I'm very lucky to have an incredibly supportive family. And my team is unbelievable. They're the hardest-working, most passionate group of people I know. My leadership style is all about helping them be the best they can be.' And yes, even during an event, she finds time to reset. 'Sometimes I just need one hour to go to the gym or take a walk to stay grounded. It's how I perform under pressure.' As the World Pool Championship with Matchroom prepares to crown a new winner, Emily Frazer is already mapping the future. 'We haven't even kicked off yet and I'm already thinking about what more we can do next year,' she says. 'That's what drives me.'
Arab News
20-07-2025
- Sport
- Arab News
Jeddah set to host $1m World Pool Championship as global stars descend on Saudi Arabia
JEDDAH: The 2025 World Pool Championship, the most lucrative tournament in nine-ball history, is set to break new ground in Jeddah on Monday, marking the return of the sport's flagship event to Saudi Arabia for the second consecutive year. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport Being held from July 21 to 26 at the Green Hall venue, the tournament features a record-breaking $1 million prize pool and brings together 128 elite players from more than 40 countries, including powerhouses such as the US, Taiwan, Germany, the Philippines, the UK, and host nation Saudi Arabia. Organized in partnership with the Saudi Arabian Billiard & Snooker Federation (SBSF), the Saudi Ministry of Sport and the World Nineball Tour, the event highlights the Kingdom's growing stature in the global sporting calendar. A press conference on Sunday officially launched the tournament, with top players and organizers expressing excitement and anticipation ahead of the opening matches. Emily Frazer, CEO of Matchroom, unveiled the tournament's striking new trophy and hailed Saudi Arabia's growing role in cue sports. 'It is really an honor to be here in Saudi Arabia for the second year in a row,' she said. 'We are all super excited to get this tournament rolling tomorrow with the participation of the world's finest players,' she added. Nayef Aljawini, President of the SBSF, spoke of the tournament's wider significance for sports development in the Kingdom. 'Today, we are witnessing a comprehensive renaissance in billiards and snooker, as is happening in all other sports within the Kingdom,' he said. 'The great support from the Ministry of Sports reflects our deep belief in the capabilities of our youth, and these hosting events are only the beginning of a promising future for this game and other sports. 'We look forward to warmly welcoming the very best snooker and pool players in the world to the Kingdom and taking their sports into the heart of our communities, while also giving emerging young Saudi players the chance to compete at this level for the second time at home,' he added. Among the leading names in attendance was Fedor Gorst, the reigning world champion and current world number one. 'I am back in Jeddah to defend my title and I'm very much looking forward to competing amidst the best in the world,' he said. Filipino star Johann Chua, winner of the Hanoi Open, said he would approach the event with positivity and calm. 'I'm really excited about it and I don't think about the pressure at all. I'm looking forward to it and will just try and enjoy as much of it as possible.' American legend Shane Van Boening, one of the sport's most successful players, was equally confident. 'Yes, I am ready and looking forward to compete with other players and hope to win it this year,' he said. Representing the host nation, Saudi rising star Khalid Al-Ghamdi expressed pride in taking part. 'We are really so excited to be part of the tournament which gathers the best in the world and we all hope to raise our level and reach good positions. Simply, we are all looking forward to be there among the best,' he said. The competition will begin with a double elimination format, where players must win two matches in race-to-nine racks to progress. From there, the final 64 enter a single elimination phase of race-to-11 racks, culminating in Saturday's final, a race-to-15 showdown. Fans around the world will be able to follow the action live. Sky Sports will provide daily coverage from 7pm local time, while DAZN (USA, Spain), Vietcontent (Vietnam) and TAP (Philippines) are among several international broadcasters carrying the event.
