Ronnie O’Sullivan has declared his intention to pursue lucrative opportunities next season following his dramatic 13-12 defeat to John Higgins in the World Snooker Championship. The seven-time Crucible champion continues to selectively choose his tournaments, but his future earnings have been impacted by the recent cancellation of the Saudi Masters, a tournament that was part of a 10-year contract with substantial financial rewards.
Financial Motivations
O’Sullivan, who established a snooker academy in Riyadh around the time of the original 2024 deal, stated: “Any tournament I go to, they all know they have to get the chequebook out. If that stops, then I stop. Whenever it is – Saudi, Qatar, China, here, whatever it is – I always make sure I’ve got some sort of fee coming because otherwise people know that I won’t turn up.” He added, “I have other options so I’m not really worried. Hopefully Saudi will still want to do some stuff, but we’ll have to wait and see. I’ll make my decisions based on whatever happens there.”
Impact of Saudi Masters Cancellation
The cancellation of the Saudi Masters, the second most lucrative event on the snooker calendar, has frustrated top players. However, the non-ranking Riyadh Season Snooker Championship, featuring a $1 million ‘golden ball’, is expected to continue. O’Sullivan, currently based in Dubai, has participated in fewer than half of the ranking tournaments this season, skipping all UK events except the World and UK Championships.
Future Plans
Despite his selective schedule, O’Sullivan intends to return to The Crucible for the World Seniors Championship starting May 8, where he will face either Ken Doherty or Gerard Greene. He commented, “If my sponsors are on board then I’ll play, but I’m not two-feet in like most of the guys. I’m just grateful to be playing and enjoying my playing. If I don’t enjoy it, I’ll take time out – we’ll see. I’ll just go back to Ireland, chill there and come back whenever I’ve got to play. It’s work. Got to go to work. Got bills to pay. Got a lot of people on the payroll.”
