Following his last-minute withdrawal from the Welsh Open, Ronnie O’Sullivan has fans and pundits pondering what’s next for the snooker legend.

Just hours away from facing Jamie Clarke in Llandudno, the Rocket pulled out, adding to his growing list of late tournament withdrawals this season. O’Sullivan – due to compete at the World Open in Yushan, China, later this month – hasn’t played since withdrawing midway through his Championship League group matches in January, snapping his cue in anger after losing four of his five matches.

Following his no-show at the Welsh Open, O’Sullivan issued an apology on social media, saying: “I’ve been trying to prioritise my health and well-being, which sometimes means making last-minute decisions not to play.

“It’s never an easy decision and I hate letting people down. I’m doing what I can to get back to my best, and I’m grateful for all your support and understanding.”

With his 50th birthday and the 2025 World Championship approaching, speculation is rife regarding O’Sullivan’s future in the sport. Here’s a round-up of what the Rocket has said about retirement over the last 12 months…

The Rocket has said conditions would need to be met before he can consider retiring. Despite a successful 2023/24 season, he is focused on enjoyment rather than pure results.

He told The Sun last April: “When I have had 2-3 months where I have been playing great, then that would be the time when I’ll hang my cue up. Would I hang my cue up now? I wouldn’t. Because I don’t feel like I have been in a good place with it. Now definitely wouldn’t be the time.”

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The Essex star has not shied away from being critical of his own form, calling himself “absolutely useless” at September’s English Open, where he went out early.

He then said via the BBC: “I think I’ve got maybe, if I want it, three really good years. That depends on if I’m fully devoted to it and I’m kind of like ‘snooker is all I’m going to do for the next three years’.”

O’Sullivan is already looking beyond his playing days, contemplating a future that could include coaching, but not just in snooker.

Speaking to Virgin Radio, he revealed his aspirations to become more involved in athletics once his time in snooker is up, saying: “It’s the best thing, I love it at the running club. When I finish playing, I think I’ll probably get a coaching badge and try to help out at the club with all types of runners. Whenever I’ve got the time, whenever I finish playing snooker.”

O’Sullivan grimly assessed his declining skills just months following his exceptional 2023/24 season, which saw him clinch five big titles. After his loss to Si Jiahui at the Saudi Arabia Masters, he admitted: “I just have to accept it’s finished for me really. I’ve been on a steady decline for five years and it’s just getting worse and worse.”

He added: “It’s okay against certain players at a certain level, but at the level I’m used to playing at and kind of having a bit of a stranglehold on the game, it’s just not good enough.

“I’m happy that it’s happening at this age and not at 31, that’s the only positive. It’s not easy to accept because you still want to play, you still want to compete.”

In a refreshingly upbeat statement, O’Sullivan declared a renewed passion for the sport after linking up with Lee Walker, the long-time coach of fellow ‘Class of 92’ member Mark Williams.

Before December’s Riyadh Season Masters last December, he said: “I’m enjoying travelling, playing, going to China, Saudi Arabia, the tournaments I’m playing in the UK, I’m enjoying everything about snooker.

“I just said to Lee Walker, who I’ve been working with, ‘just keep me going for 10 years’. If I can enjoy it and not get many results, I’ll take that, because I’ve had a lot of good results over my career. I don’t have anything to prove.”

However, the subsequent weeks have seen more tournament withdrawals and a broken cue in one of his few appearances. As the snooker season heads for its climax, O’Sullivan’s next move is anyone’s guess.

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