O’Sullivan must fight to retain his place among snooker’s top 16
Ronnie O'Sullivan, now 50, has been a fixture in the sport’s elite since turning professional in 1992. The seven‑time World Champion, who last lifted the Crucible trophy in 2022, is currently ranked 13th and faces a real risk of falling out of the automatic 16‑player entry for next year’s World Championship.
A first‑round loss at the Northern Ireland Open on Monday left O'Sullivan short of the prize money he needs to cement his position. He is still chasing an eighth world title, which would see him overtake former rival Stephen Hendry, but has warned that he would rather retire than contest the qualifying rounds that sit outside the top‑16.
The 2026‑27 season has been relatively quiet for the legend. His only notable run has been a semi‑final appearance at the Wuhan Open, following two last‑16 finishes earlier in the campaign. Subsequent outings in Shenzhen and Belfast both ended in opening‑round defeats.
Over the past two seasons O'Sullivan has amassed £513,750 in ranking‑event earnings, a £99,350 lead over Ali Carter, who occupies the 16th spot, and a £154,650 advantage over Zhou Yuelong in 17th place with £359,100 to his name. While this margin appears comfortable, it could evaporate if his rivals string together deep runs.
A significant portion of O'Sullivan’s earnings came from his runner‑up finish at the Saudi Arabia Masters in August 2025, where he collected £200,000. That sum will remain on his ranking tally until the start of the 2027‑28 season, after which it will drop out of the calculation period. With the Saudi event discontinued in April, he cannot replace that windfall, meaning strong performances over the next 18 months will be crucial to safeguard an automatic World Championship berth for 2028.
One way to boost his ranking points would be to increase his tournament schedule. In recent years O'Sullivan has trimmed his commitments, citing medical issues and the need to protect his mental health. The 2025‑26 season saw him compete mainly in Asia, entering only the UK Championship and the World Championship on home soil. His recent appearance in Belfast marked his first UK ranking event outside the Triple Crown (Masters, World Championship, UK Championship) since the English Open in September 2024. His most recent ranking title came at the World Grand Prix in January of this year.
After his Wuhan semi‑final loss in August, O'Sullivan said he “doesn’t want to throw in the towel just yet,” but acknowledged that his window for adding another world title is narrowing, aiming to achieve the feat before 2028.
If he does slip out of the top 16, O'Sullivan has made it clear he will not enter the qualifying tournament held at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield. “I’d love to win another World Championship. I’ve got two attempts at it,” he told the World Snooker Tour in July. “If I don’t do it this season or the next season, then it’ll definitely never happen. I’m not going to play qualifiers. You won’t be seeing me go down to Barnsley trying to win qualifying matches and all that sort of stuff. I have to be realistic. If that happens, then obviously that’s the end of my career. But hopefully, I can keep going for at least another two seasons.”
Playing more events could stave off a forced retirement, yet O'Sullivan has been open about his struggles with depression and anxiety, which may limit his willingness to increase his workload. He has threatened to retire on several occasions throughout his career, only to return, a pattern that began in his teenage years. His first world title arrived in 2001, and his latest in 2022, underscoring a remarkable longevity that may now be entering its final chapter.
A documentary titled “Snooker’s Class of ’92 at 50” aired on iPlayer in December 2025, revisiting the era that produced O'Sullivan, John Higgins and Mark Williams, all of whom have recently turned 50.