“I don’t feel pressure.”
Antoni Kowalski
Introduction
Antoni Kowalski is the third Polish player to get the prized possession of a card on the main snooker tour. Falling in love with snooker at a young age, Anton was gifted a snooker table by the Paul Huber Foundation at 12. A table on which Ken Doherty had a practice session with him and predicted great things of him as a result. This young Polish hopeful didn’t disappoint, winning the World Open Under-16 Championship in 2019, runner-up in the Under-18 and Under-21 categories at the 2022 IBSF World Snooker Championship and winner of the Polish Amateur Championship in 2020 and 2023. He also won the Q Tour title the same year, beating Rory McLeod 5-3 in the final. He would go on to win the Polish Amateur Championship in 2024 and runner-up at the EBSA European Under-21 Snooker Championship.
The Big Time
Q School is never an easy task, a marathon of matches where you can falter at any stage. However, the reward for those who make it through is a two-year tour card on the main tour. That’s precisely what Antoni achieved in May 2024, defeating Simon Blackwell 4-1 to secure his place. With glimpses of brilliance at the Championship League, Antoni is now in Riyadh, competing in the Saudi Arabian Masters. His latest win was a 4-0 whitewash of He Guoqjang—a constantly improving player who is dangerous when in the balls.
The player who first picked up a cue at the age of six classes Shaun Murphy, Mark Selby, John Higgins and Judd Trump as his snooker heroes. Although he regards Ronnie O’Sullivan as a genius, he feels that he is arrogant. At only 20 years old, Antoni has a bright future ahead of him and is definitely the most dangerous player that Poland has produced. I love his self-confidence and fearlessness. He isn’t afraid to take on the game’s big guns and is making good progress in Riyadh, where he has the potential to earn his biggest paycheque. He has only made £9000 in career earnings and has already made £7000 in Riyadh. He is certainly not one of the players that Ronnie brands as numpties. A player who has the X Factor and is ruthless and dominant.
