2025 Athlete of the Year nominee: Aloysius Yapp

Q. If 2025 were a chapter in a book, what would its title be and why?

A. I will call it Breakthrough.

I had a lot of ups and downs in 2024, and I didn’t play so well that year. I went into 2025 with new equipment and a different mindset. I wasn’t too hard on myself and went into the year trying to get used to my equipment, regain my confidence and improve in many areas. And

I managed to accomplish all these things.

Q. You sure did, and more, winning 10 national and international titles for your most prolific season yet. What’s different when you’re at your best?

A. I’m definitely more relaxed and confident.

I remember playing some matches and not thinking I was going to miss. My mind was just so clear, and I just felt full confidence in myself and my abilities. I felt the confidence building up in the knockout stage of the UK Open in May (he beat Spain’s Jonas Souto 13-1 in the final), and from then on, I felt I played well throughout the Florida Open.

Q. Was there a moment in 2025 when you realised you were at a level you’d never seen before?

A. It was not that I couldn’t play like this before, but I always believed that I can always play a lot better and I still feel I have so much to work on and improve.

Perhaps the last time I had a very big breakthrough was in 2021 when I reached the US Open for the first time. Although I lost to Carlo Biado of the Philippines, I felt I had a huge jump in improvement in my game and my mindset, which helped me believe I have what it takes to win it one day, and I did so in 2025.

Q. Was there anything you had to let go of – a habit, a belief, a way of thinking – to get to the level you did in 2025?

A. I was more lenient with myself. I wasn’t too hard on myself when I made mistakes. I felt I handled my mistakes better and recovered a lot better when I was in high-pressure situations.

This is also a reminder not to beat myself up when things don’t go my way at times. Recently, I felt quite frustrated as I have been unlucky with weird situations.

For example, I missed a crucial shot that determined the match after a photographer kept moving in front of me while I was playing with a shot clock running down at the Carabao International Open in Indonesia in February. Later, at the Premier League Pool in Florida, I played better than my opponents in many matches but couldn’t close them because of unfortunate rolls, ball contact or snookers.

There’s nothing much I can do about such situations and I just have to tell myself it’s not meant to be and move on to the next tournament.

Q. Did the pressure shift once you realised you weren’t just chasing something, but setting a new standard?

A. I’m still human and like everyone else, I feel the pressure, but I also actually feel more relaxed after winning my first televised major at the UK Open knowing I have it in the bag already.

I never expected to win so many times last year, but I felt more relaxed throughout the year.

Q. What is one thing you are proud of yourself for doing in 2025?

A. I really learnt how to handle myself – my emotions and expectations – a lot better, and I hope I can continue to do well and do even better in the years ahead.

Q. What’s a personal first from last season that mattered more than any milestone?

A. Winning my first televised major title at the UK Open gave me my biggest breakthrough in terms of my mentality and I felt I was able to cross off a big target from my bucket list.

But my biggest win of 2025 was successfully proposing to my girlfriend (Indonesian pool pro player Silviana Lu) in December.

We have been together since 2020 but in November 2024, we actually had a huge argument and broke up for a period before we got back together in April 2025. Being able to work things out and settle down together was one of the key things that helped a lot, to make me feel more grounded and motivated. I realised she makes me feel more full and complete.