Ronnie O’Sullivan has withdrawn from the Masters just days before the start of the tournament, with the WST confirming the reason behind his decision before he was supposed to play on Monday
Snooker star Ronnie O’Sullivan has pulled out of the Masters just days before the tournament’s start, citing medical reasons. He will be replaced by 17th seed Chris Wakelin.
The World Snooker Tour (WST) confirmed in a statement: “Ronnie O’Sullivan has withdrawn from the Johnstone’s Paint Masters for medical reasons. O’Sullivan was due to face Neil Robertson in the opening round on Wednesday January 14th at 7pm. He has been replaced in the draw by Chris Wakelin who was 17th seed at the cut-off point.
“The tournament at Alexandra Palace in London run from January 11-18.”
This marks the second consecutive year that O’Sullivan will not participate in the prestigious triple crown event. The news broke less than 38 hours before the tournament’s commencement, reports the Express.
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His first match, scheduled for Wednesday evening, would have seen him go head-to-head with Neil Robertson in a heavyweight clash. However, recent Scottish Open champion Wakelin will now take his place in the draw.
In the lead-up to the tournament, O’Sullivan had been spotted practising against two professional players in an Irish pub. Former British Open champion Fergal O’Brien arranged the session with two promising talents he is coaching.
The Masters was set to be O’Sullivan’s first UK appearance since his surprising exit from the UK championships in November, where he suffered a 6-4 defeat against Chinese prodigy Zhou Yuelong.
The Sun has reported that O’Sullivan has been under the weather recently, leaving him feeling physically exhausted. However, it’s said that he is now on the road to recovery.
The decision to pull out from the tournament was not made lightly, as the competition is considered one of his favourite events. Last season, the record eight-time champion chose to withdraw due to mental health struggles. This decision followed shortly after he broke his cue during the Champions League event in Leicester.
The seven-time world champion pulled out of the British Open in September due to “medical reasons”, having also ducked out of the Wuhan Open the previous month.
At the start of 2025 O’Sullivan pulled out of the German Masters, the Masters and matches in the Championship League in order to prioritise his mental health.
“I’ve been trying to prioritise my health and wellbeing, which sometimes means making last-minute decisions not to play,” said O’Sullivan at the time. “It’s never an easy decision and I hate letting people down.
“I realise plenty of people who bought tickets to some recent snooker events will have been frustrated when I withdrew, so I just wanted to say sorry. I’m doing what I can to get back to my best, and I’m grateful for all your support and understanding.”
