Ronnie O’Sullivan is, by almost any measure and metric one considers, the greatest snooker player of all time. Many, especially those partial to ball-and-baize-based action, would go further, and suggest that the Rocket is the greatest sportsperson ever, bar none. Yet others, perhaps not wishing to go quite that far, might argue that he is either the greatest British sports star of all time, the most naturally gifted sportsman ever, or some combination of all these things. However you want to look at it, he’s pretty handy with a cue, that’s for sure.
However, the Essex star (though he was born in the Midlands) will be 50 years old by the time of the 2026 Snooker World Championships and there are increasing signs that his time at the top of the game could be over. Worryingly for fans of his, and the game more generally, there are more and more indications that his time playing the sport professionally might be at least nearing its end.
Rocket to Make Late Call on Worlds
In terms of modern-era champions, Ronnie is tied with Stephen Hendry on seven world titles. The 49-year-old would dearly love to move out in front on his own by claiming an eighth but despite having played at the game’s biggest event every single year since 1992, it looks increasingly likely that he will miss the 2025 event.
On the 3rd of April, he said that he didn’t know if he would play and that he would “probably make a decision on maybe 17 or 18 April.” The tournament runs for two and a half weeks from the 19th of April and Ronnie has never been a fan of its testing duration. He said that he’d “love to be able to go there and play” and to “have the confidence to be able to get my cue out and go and play snooker.” However, he has been suffering from various issues for most of the year and said that he needed to “give myself as much time as possible to see where I’m at with it, and see whether it’s something I’m going to be able to do.”
What’s Happened with the Rocket this Year?
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The winner of 23 Triple Crown events has not played in the World Snooker Tournament since he withdrew from the Championship League in January. He was struggling for form and confidence and was so frustrated that he snapped his cue during the Championship League group, where he was beaten in four of his five games.
Following that he made what he called the “nightmare decision” to pull out of the Masters, a tournament he has won a record eight times. He explained in an interview after his decision that 2024 had left him exhausted and he pulled out of the Masters on medical grounds. He felt that being away so much had affected him and the pressure was beginning to get too much for him to take.
He then missed several other tournaments, including the German Masters, the Welsh Open and Hong Kong’s World Grand Prix. If he skips the World Championships, many will wonder when, or even if, he will return. At 49 he is clearly past the height of his powers, though anyone writing him off should remember that he won five events during the 2023/24 season. Those wins included the 2023 UK Championship, the World Grand Prix and, of course, the 2024 Masters, whilst he also made the final of the Tour Championship last year.
Appetitite to Continue Beneath Elite Unlikely
Talk of his demise is, therefore, probably premature, but for a player who has long faced internal struggles and doubts, questions are sure to be asked. Whilst John Higgins is still playing and is actually a few months older than Ronnie, the Scot, despite some fine recent performances, is not operating at the same level as the Rocket.
Higgins won the 2025 World Open but that was his first ranking event title since 2021 and just his second since 2018. His last win in a Triple Crown event was way back in 2011. It is admirable that Higgins can maintain his drive and desire when his chances in the biggest events are small but it is hard to see Ronnie being able do likewise.
Even when the seven-time world champion is playing what looks like great snooker to everyone else, he is prone to frustration that he isn’t playing as well as he believes he can. He puts immense pressure on himself to play almost perfect snooker and as hitting the heights of old becomes harder and harder and it happens less and less frequently, it is very easy to see the Rocket deciding enough is enough.
It will be a sad day for him, his fans and the game and we hope it is a way off yet. Given just how unpredictable he is, we certainly wouldn’t put it past him to rock up at Sheffield with little notice and scant preparation and to claim that much-desired eighth world title!
If Not Ronnie, Then Who?
Despite his poor build-up and a big chance he will not even play, so respected is the Essex cue-man that he remains the fourth favourite for more glory at the Crucible. Those who dare to dream, love the romance that sport often brings, or simply believe that Ronnie has one more big win in him, can back him at 8/1. Some bookies price him at just 6/1, showing how well-respected his game still is.
However, even if he decides to take his place in Sheffield, we suspect he won’t have the energy levels to sustain a challenge over 17 days and five long matches. Judd Trump, who last won the title in 2019 and lost to O’Sullivan in the final in 2022, is the favourite. He can be backed at 15/4, whilst defending champion Kyren Wilson is 7/1. Mark Selby, a four-time world champion, has returned to form, and is next at 15/2, whilst Aussie Neil Robertson is 12/1. We, like so many snooker fans, would love to see Ronnie win in Sheffield once again but right now it would just be good to see him back at the table. Fingers crossed!