Ronnie O'Sullivan says he will quit snooker in 18 months if his form doesn't improve. The 50-year-old has not won a ranking tournament since January 2024 and is growing increasingly frustrated with his performances after crashing out of the Wuhan Open.
The 23-time Triple Crown winner lost 6-3 to Chang Bingyu in the semi-final of the tournament in China. He made some sloppy mistakes in the performance, which he characterised as "the disease" in his game.
O'Sullivan's Verdict on Defeat
"The disease came back big time today. If I'm honest I don't think I will ever get over it," O'Sullivan told WST.TV.
"I will see out the next 18 months and see how we go. I don't want to throw the towel in just yet. I've committed to playing until then. I want to give myself a chance. I'd hate to finish my career on performances like that."
O'Sullivan has pulled out of next week's British Open in Cheltenham for medical reasons, continuing the pattern of the past few years. The Rocket has not played a ranking tournament in the UK since the English Open in September 2024 and increasingly appears close to the end of his stellar career.
Reflections on His Career
"I asked Stephen Hendry and Steve Davis, I spoke to them a couple of times and they said they probably played 10 years longer than they should have done," he said earlier this week. "Because you always have this feeling, I want to play like I used to, because it's a nice feeling.
"I'm not going to waste 10 years. I've wasted three or four, in my opinion, three or four years where it's been not great. I'll give myself another year-and-a-half, to see if I can find something. If I can't I think it's good to draw a line under it and move on to other things that are more suitable to me."
Predicted His Own Downfall
O'Sullivan is no stranger to speaking honestly about his game - and he predicted his downfall in the semi-final in Wuhan. "No. Absolutely no chance," he said when quizzed on his chances of winning the tournament.
"I was happy to win a match. When I won two matches I was over the moon. To win three, for me, was a miracle at the moment. I've probably gone as far as I can go.
"If anybody plays well against me, they win, it doesn't matter where they're ranked. If they play poorly then I have a chance, but I don't expect anyone from now to play poorly.
"My game is now very, very poor. I'm not playing to a good enough level. My technique is so rubbish I don't have a clue where the balls are going, it's like hit and hope snooker. I'm delighted to have won three matches, I can't believe it really. I just hope for some improvement in the future. I'm playing more for the future, to hopefully find something."
