Ronnie O'Sullivan Withdraws from Northern Ireland Open

Ronnie O’Sullivan has withdrawn from the Northern Ireland Open on its opening day due to an unspecified medical issue with the World Snooker Tour (WST) confirming his decision. The 48-year-old snooker star has now missed three consecutive tournaments including the British Open and Wuhan Open. His latest withdrawal adds to this string of absences.

O’Sullivan was scheduled to face China’s Long Zehuang in a last-64 match at the Waterfront Hall but withdrew without providing a specific reason. It is unclear if he will participate in the International Champions event in China starting on November 3. His last competitive match was at the English Open on September 17 where he suffered a first-round defeat.

Widely regarded as the greatest snooker player of all time, O’Sullivan frequently criticizes snooker’s management and expresses frustration with their decisions. Recently, he joked about retiring if walk-on music, a potential new feature in snooker, gets introduced. Despite these tensions, O’Sullivan continues to dominate the sport. In a recent interview on BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs, O’Sullivan expressed his goal of returning next year with a more focused mindset.

He is eager to enhance his performance and make a strong comeback.  He noted that with full commitment, he believes he still has a few strong years left in his career. However, he acknowledged that balancing his snooker career with other interests such as punditry and exhibitions, can be difficult. Despite enjoying these pursuits, he finds it challenging to manage them alongside his competitive commitments.

Nevertheless, he expressed a renewed focus this year, motivated by his disappointing performance at last year’s World Championship. As retirement rumors circulate, Ronnie O’Sullivan is resolute in his desire to keep competing at a high level. He believes this is possible only if he can fully dedicate himself to the game.