Ronnie O'Sullivan nearly pulled out of World Snooker Championship for another job

 Ronnie O'Sullivan's participation at the 2025 World Snooker Championship is in doubt.

Ronnie O'Sullivan thought about withdrawing from the World Snooker Championship.

Ronnie O’Sullivan has revealed that he considered withdrawing from this year’s World Snooker Championship to take up another gig. The Rocket is yet to make a decision on playing at the Crucible, having not played a professional match since January. The seven-time world champion could surpass Stephen Hendry with another triumph in Sheffield, with the pair currently tied at the top of the list for Open Era winners.

But the 49-year-old has pulled out of his Masters defence before skipping the World Grand Prix, Scottish Open, German Masters and Welsh Open. He cited medical reasons for those withdrawals. Last week he admitted that practice sessions leading up to the tournament will decide if he plays or not. He has now opened up on potentially pulling out in order to become a coach and pundit at the Crucible.

"It’s always nice to pass on knowledge,” O'Sullivan told TNT Sports. “Up until about a month ago, I hadn’t actually picked my cue up and I had no intention of picking my cue up, I was thinking about going to this year’s World Championship and maybe helping one of the players on the circuit that might need someone in their corner.

"Obviously I’ve got back into practice now, so my intention is to play; whether I do or not is another matter.

"If I wasn’t, then I would’ve loved to have gone to Sheffield, done my punditry work but then also [worked] with one of the players on tour, trying to add and give them some advice, and maybe help and support them along the way."

Ronnie O'Sullivan competing in Saudi Arabia.

O’Sullivan has often discussed potentially mentoring a young player, as Welsh legend Ray Reardon did for him during the Rocket’s developmental years, but has a strict criteria for those who would want to work with the all-time great.

"I’d like to get a young player and help him develop," O'Sullivan added. "But I’d also like to work with a top player that wants to win the World Championship and who I think is capable of winning the World Championship, and try and add something to their game.

"I’d like to obviously nurture because I think that would be good, but then I’d like to get someone that’s pretty much already there, but do what Ray Reardon did for me, which is just add that little bit extra; it became a massive difference to my game.”

O’Sullivan may be keeping a keen eye on World Championship qualifying, as a host of young talents such as Stan Moody, Antoni Kowalski and Michal Szubarczyk are in action over the next week trying to book their place at the Crucible.