The Rocket has been out of action since January and is yet to confirm if he'll play in Sheffield later this month
Sport Fraser Clarke Sport Trends Writer 20:47, 09 Apr 2025
Ronnie O'Sullivan has found a cue he's happy with, but is still to decide if he'll play at the World Championship later this month.
That's according to the Rocket's snooker manager Jason Francis, who says that Ronnie won't be rushed into a decision ahead of the showcase event getting underway on April 19.
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Seven time world champ O'Sullivan hasn't played since snapping his cue and storming off during the Championship League in January, and left fans worrying for his future in the sport after pulling out of a string of events - including a planned Masters showdown with John Higgins.
Manager Francis gave the positive update however, as he spoke to Shaun Murphy and Phil Seymour on the Onefourseven Snooker Podcast.
Seymour asked: "As Ronnie O’Sullivan’s snooker manager, will Ronnie O’Sullivan be playing in the World Championship at the Crucible this year?"
To which Francis replied: "Listen, if I had a pound (for every time I was asked that) then I wouldn’t need to be doing any of this.
"Obviously so many people are asking me. We spent the day together last Thursday going over some stuff.
"He seems to have a cue that he’s happy with. He is hitting balls. But he’s said nothing different to me than he’s said to everyone else.
"He will decide, last minute, whether he wants to go. The only thing I’ve said is that, if you’re going to go, then you have to go and give it everything.
"This is the World Championship. But if you don’t feel right, and if it's mental health or anxiety, bear in mind I’ve been party to see this.
"It's not just something that affects Ronnie. I read that Jamie Jones walked up to a venue and the anxiety got so bad he walked away.
"For Ronnie O’Sullivan, the money he can earn at the World Championship, you can argue, won’t change his life. I don’t mean that in a derogatory way.
"For someone like Jamie Jones, using that as an example because I don’t know his situation, there will be players who have gone to play in tournaments thinking they have to win a match to pay the bills and put food on the table.
"Their anxiety is at such a point they can’t face playing that. I can only describe it as stage fright, and I get it.
"All of us know that Ronnie is his own man and will make his own decision. As a snooker fan we’d love him to play there. But it has to be at what cost to his mental health."
Opening up on his absence from the sport, 49-year-old O'Sullivan said: "I realise plenty of people who bought tickets to some recent snooker events will have been frustrated when I withdrew. So I just wanted to say sorry to those of you who’ve been disappointed with me having to pull out of those tournaments.
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"I’ve been trying to prioritise my health and wellbeing, which sometimes means making last-minute decisions not to play. It’s never an easy decision and I hate letting people down.
"I’m doing what I can to get back to my best, and I’m grateful for all your support and understanding."
