Ronnie O’Sullivan has confirmed he will skip the Masters in January as he continues to carefully select which tournaments he enters. The 49-year-old, who relocated to Dubai earlier this year, will still return to the UK for the UK Championship starting this Saturday.
O’Sullivan has had a turbulent season, including a long break after smashing his cue during a Championship League match in January. He withdrew from the 2025 Masters, then came back for the World Championship and reached the semi-finals. Since then, he has competed mainly in China and Saudi Arabia.
Speaking to SportsBoom, O’Sullivan said he hopes to return when possible, but long flights and expenses make UK events difficult. He expects to play more UK tournaments next season, but this year he is focused on settling in Dubai and prioritising events in the Middle East and Asia.
He confirmed he will likely play only the UK Championship and possibly the Tour Championship in the UK before heading to the World Championship. With age and travel fatigue catching up, he says it’s necessary to limit travel. Moving to Dubai has reduced his jet lag, and he feels much more comfortable being based closer to where most of his work and tournaments are held. Even his dogs have adapted well to the warm climate.
O’Sullivan, who last won the Masters in 2024 with a victory over Ali Carter, had already hinted in September that he planned to stop playing the event. At the time, he explained that living in Dubai and competing mostly in China and the Middle East made skipping the Masters logical.
He added that his main goals this season are the UK Championship, the Tour Championship if he qualifies and the World Championship, which he hopes to win once more before “snapping another cue.”
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