Returning to England, Reardon developed a long association with Ponting’s holiday camp, where he played exhibition games and demonstrated trick shots for holidaymakers.A remarkably well-rounded individual, Reardon’s personality was not altered by his increasing fame and wealth, and he continued to perform for Ponting long after he began to find himself in financial difficulty.
In 1973 he defeated Eddie Charlton to regain the world title and for the next three years he retained his world title by beating Graham Miles, Charlton again and Alex Higgins in succession. He was the sport’s greatest ambassador, whether it was exhibition matches, clinics, television demonstrations or flying to India at short notice to complete a tour for Alex Higgins, who angered his hosts by refusing to wear a tie because of the heat.
When world rankings were introduced in 1976, Reardon became the first player to be ranked number one, a position he held until 1981.
He believed a hectic schedule and overconfidence were to blame when he lost the title to rival John Spencer in 1977. Although he regained the title the following year by beating Perry Mans and won a second Potback title in 1979, his decade-long reign came to an end and the emergence of young talents such as Steve Davis, inspired by the sport’s newfound wealth and popularity, made it impossible for him to regain dominance again.