But Allen, who is aiming to retake the status this season, complained that he received far less fanfare than he had expected when becoming just the 12th person to become world No. 1.
“It was strange,” Allen told The Sun. “It was extremely underwhelming to achieve a lifetime goal and there wasn’t a lot of coverage with it. There haven’t been any additives from being world No.1. So, it has been a bit disappointing if I’m honest.
“If I was able to get back there and stay for a long time, I’m sure there would be extra benefits that come with it. It has been disappointing to say the least. That’s one of my targets that I’ve set for the season, to finish as No.1. I know I’ll have to have a very good year given how good a year Judd had last year.
“But I’m confident in my abilities to win a few tournaments, including the World Championship, which is huge money. I’m only the 12th person that has become world No.1 – and there have been more world champions than that.”
Allen, currently third behind Trump and Wilson, had a chance to bridge the gap at the English Open this week. Outsiders Neil Robertson and Wu Yize reached the final in Brentwood after a day of shocks in the quarter-finals.
The Northern Irish potter was upset by Chris Wakelin, while Trump and Mark Selby both fell to Wu and Ishpreet Chadha Singh respectively.
Next up is the British Open and while Allen was far from enthused about the wider reaction to becoming world No. 1, he was encouraged by the reception he received from his peers.
“What being world No.1 brought to my attention is how well I’m thought of among the players, given the amount of people that congratulated me,” Allen added.
“It makes you feel taller, it makes you feel more important. That’s a great feeling to have. It’s a special category to be in. Ultimately, it’s about winning that world championship. That is the box that needs to be ticked in my CV.
