Ronnie O'Sullivan issues new retirement statement as huge career decision made

Snooker icon Ronnie O'Sullivan has confessed he's becoming increasingly careful about how much snooker he plays and where, recognising his time competing at the highest level may be drawing to a close. In practical terms, this means The Rocket is putting exhibition snooker to one side, instead shifting all his attention towards the tournament circuit.

O'Sullivan, who celebrates his 50th birthday in December, boasts seven world championship titles and most recently claimed victory at The Crucible in 2022. He has pulled out of several tournaments in the 2025/26 season but found time for a run to the final of the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters in August, where he suffered a narrow defeat to Neil Robertson. Exhibition matches can provide substantial financial rewards for the world's elite players, but O'Sullivan's endorsement deals make them less of a necessity for him specifically.

This means that, despite uncertainty over how much longer he can remain at the pinnacle of the sport, O'Sullivan is able to be more selective.

"I decided I couldn't do the exhibition circuit and play. That was just making it so much harder," the star told Sportsboom.

"I decided to take out all my commitments, including exhibitions, even though there are good fun and I enjoyed doing them, it was just too much to do that and play tournaments as well."

"I know I'm probably towards the end of my career. I'll probably get two more years, if I get three, four or five then that would be a miracle. I don't have long left so I thought I'd give it all I can," he added.

"I've got a couple of sponsors which is great and that helps. It takes the pressure off the finances, so I don't have to do the exhibitions."

O'Sullivan has had issues with jet lag due to a hectic schedule, but his relocation to Dubai has made it easier for him to participate in Asian tournaments while he's less active back in the UK. He's currently about to begin his campaign at the Xi'an Grand Prix in China, where he reached the semi-finals last year.

"As long as my sponsors are on board and supporting me, then I can keep playing," the 49-year-old stated. "I just want to focus on playing, get ready for tournaments and see if I can find that love for the game which I've had pretty much my whole career."

The decision to move away from the UK was recent, although O'Sullivan had been contemplating it for some time. In fact, he revealed his plans after losing to eventual champion Zhao Xintong in the World Snooker Championship semi-finals in May.

"I think I'm going to be moving out of the UK this year. A new life somewhere else," he declared at the time. "I'm moving away soon so I'll just see how it goes. There's a lot of more important things in life to worry about than a game of snooker. For me, it's a big part of my life but I've got to try and figure out what my future looks like, whether it's playing or not.

"I'll be moving away to the Middle East but we'll see how it goes. I might be back in six months, who knows?"There are going to be a few changes in my life so we'll see how that goes. ".