A World Snooker Championship without Ronnie O’Sullivan? The seven-time world champion now faces a genuine battle to stay inside the world’s top 16 — the group guaranteed automatic entry to the Crucible.
Ronnie O’Sullivan (Credits: BBC Sport)
Slipping Down the Rankings
O’Sullivan, 50, has been a near ever-present in the top 16 since turning professional in 1992. But after a first-round defeat at the Northern Ireland Open in Belfast, he sits at number 13 in the world rankings — and the cushion is shrinking.
With £513,750 earned at ranking events over two years, he is £99,350 ahead of Ali Carter, who holds the 16th spot, and £154,650 clear of 17th-placed Zhou Yuelong. That looks comfortable at first glance, but there is trouble on the horizon.
The Jeddah Money Problem
Over a third of O’Sullivan’s ranking winnings come from reaching the final of the Saudi Arabia Masters in August 2025, worth £200,000. That money slips out of the eligibility period shortly after the start of the 2027-28 season — and he cannot replace it, because the tournament, which offered the highest prize money outside UK-based events, was abolished in April.
Still chasing the eighth world title that would move him past former rival Stephen Hendry, O’Sullivan has said he would rather retire than enter qualifying events. The 2026-27 season has been quiet so far: a semi-final run at the Wuhan Open is his only significant result in five tournaments, and he has lost in the first round of his last two events in Shenzhen and Belfast.
He has operated on a reduced schedule in recent years, citing medical reasons and the need to prioritise his mental health for several withdrawals. Competing in more tournaments could be his path back — but with limited time left in the sport, as he himself has acknowledged, the clock is ticking.
Source: BBC Sport — read the full story there.
