There were a few moments when it seemed he might relinquish his stranglehold on the top of the world rankings.
But as the tournament progressed, Ronnie O'Sullivan became the sport's world number one on the official two-year list.
rockets
The team made headlines for his numerous withdrawals from matches, including at the Crown of Champions, where he would defend his title.
The release of his documentary Ronnie O'Sullivan: The Edge of Everything has also attracted a great deal of attention.
It wasn't always obvious at the poker table, but O'Sullivan still managed to win several prestigious titles.
A few months later, the Shanghai Masters was won for the fifth time and the British Championship for a record eighth time.
O'Sullivan's 10-7 win over Ding Junhui in the York final came almost 30 years after his success in the same match in 1993.
O'Sullivan, 48, continues to excel in the game with little sign that his tenure at the top echelon is coming to an end.
2023 Judd Trump Much of the attention has centered around his excellent October.
The 34-year-old remained unbeaten in dazzling form, scoring a hat-trick in the space of just four weeks.
But Trump's calendar year was actually strong from start to finish.
Despite not being at the top of his game, the Englishman started 2023 by winning the second Masters title of his career.
Four more appearances in finals - losing to Mark Allen in the World Grand Prix and again to the Northern Irishman in the Championship.
Trump was also denied glory at the European Masters by the inspirational Barry Hawkins and John Higgins at the Champions League Invitational.
Losing in the first round of the World Championships was the main reason for the disappointment.
However, Trump's confidence is almost back to where it was between 2019 and 2021, and he has risen to second place in the world rankings.
When he is at his best, he is virtually unbeatable, as he proved in that fascinating month of October, when he won the Triple Crown at the England, Wuhan and Northern Ireland Opens.
Despite his three trophies, it was a bit of a strange 2023 for Mark Allen.
The year began with his World Grand Prix victory at Cheltenham, where he denied Trump with a thrilling 10-9 win.
It was also a huge success at the end of the year, with Trump once again on the other side of the table when he captured the title of champion of champions in November.
A month later, Allen became the first person ever to win the unpredictable
snooker (loanword)
The first 16 active members of the penalty kill.
A decent World Championship also saw the Pistol Challenge in Sheffield for the first time in years, reaching the quarter-finals where he was beaten by Mark Selby.
But beyond that, his failure to reach the world number one spot reflects a number of disappointing performances.
Allen had a chance to force his way to the top of the list for the first time in his career, but couldn't get the job done.
Nonetheless, following his defence of the Northern Ireland Open and winning the British Championship in 2022, it has been another strong year for the Antrim man.
Like Allen, Sean Murphy won three titles in 2023 and should at least get a mention in the Player of the Year debate.
In fact, for a two-month period between February and early April, Murphy temporarily became the best player in the world.
After a surprise loss to Robert Milkins in the final of the Welsh Open, he went on to win the Players and Tour Championships in impressive fashion.
Murphy went on to win the Champions League title in the inaugural season of 2023/24, but unfortunately for the magician, his form has fallen off a cliff since then.
Meanwhile, Luca Brecel produced one of snooker's most memorable fortnights ever to claim the world championship trophy for the first time.
The Belgian Bullets hadn't even won a game at the Crucible Theater before, but that all changed dramatically in 2023.
A 10-9 win over Ricky Walden in the first round was followed by victories over multiple world champions Mark Williams and Ronnie O'Sullivan.
Brecher then trailed debutant Sze Ka Fai 14-5 in a thrilling semi-final before beating Mark Selby in an entertaining showdown for glory.
The 28-year-old may not have done much since then, but his incredible talent was there for all to see during that time.
Finally, another unlikely snooker star should be mentioned in the 2023 Player of the Year discussion - Zhang Anda.
Twelve months ago, Zhang Zhizhen maintained the strange moniker of being the best player to never finish in the world's top 64.
Zhang Zhizhen has been a professional player off and on since 2009, eventually ending last season as the 58th ranked player in the world, but there's more.
The 31-year-old made a surprise run to the final at the English Open, where he was beaten by Judd
Harry Trump (1946-), US swimmer and multiple Olympic gold medallist
(Judd Trump) narrowly denied a first title shot.
A month later, Zhang Zhizhen went one better, entertaining the Chinese home crowd and winning the International Championship.
With a rapid rise in the rankings, the diminutive giant rat is among the top 16 and has earned a spot at the upcoming Masters.
If Allen is stronger in the middle of the year, or if Murphy continues this madness a few months later.
If Brecher builds on his World Championship victory and challenges for more titles, or if O'Sullivan competes in more events.
All of these competitors have calendar years to remember, but only one conclusion can be drawn.
From the beginning of the year to the end of the year, he maintained a high and consistent level of play, winning four titles and reaching four other finals.
The 2023 Snooker Player of the Year is Judd Trump.
