Hendry gets the distinction of holding the most world position titles (36) and leads the field of snooker players with 775 competitive century breaks. He’s made 11 competitive maximum breaks, second only to Ronnie O’Sullivan. In May 2012 he retired in the sport to focus on his commercial interests, although he continues a commentator for BBC Snooker.
Hendry’s dominant position in snooker seemed to be about the wane, as the sole standing event he won in the 1997/98 season was the Thailand Masters. In the 1998 Masters final at Wembley, Hendry led his great buddy Mark Williams 9–6, wanting just an additional frame for success. Yet, he subsequently squandered numerous opportunities to close out the match and finally lost 10–9 after the determining frame visited a re-spotted black. This match is considered by many as among the best in the annals of the sport. 1998/99 started with an awkward 0–9 first-round loss in the UK Championship to unseeded Marcus Campbell. Nevertheless, a resurgent Hendry won the final two events in the campaign — the Scottish Open as well as a record seventh World title. After conquering Ronnie O’Sullivan 17–13 in their semifinal, he appeared a persuasive 18–11 victor over future double World Champion Mark Williams. This was Hendry’s last World Championship title.