Ronnie O’Sullivan issues apology for pulling out of four recent events as snooker great says he’s trying to ‘prioritise health and wellbeing’

Seven-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan has apologised to fans after withdrawing from another high-profile tournament. 

O’Sullivan pulled out of the Welsh Open in Llandudno on Tuesday, hours before he was scheduled to play his first-round match against Jamie Clarke.

O’Sullivan has not played on the tour since he withdrew midway through his Championship League group in January, snapping his cue after losing four of his five matches.

He subsequently pulled out of the Masters at Alexandra Palace, forfeiting his first-round match against John Higgins, and the German Masters in Berlin.

Taking to X, O’Sullivan wrote: ‘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.

‘I’ve been trying to prioritise my health and well-being, 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.’

The 49-year-old has now withdrawn from six ranking tournaments this season. He is next set to compete in the World Open in Yushan at the end of this month.

O’Sullivan cited exhaustion as his reason for missing the Masters last month after engaging in a gruelling series of exhibition events abroad.

He told Eurosport: ‘It was a nightmare decision really to make.

‘I’ve obviously been on this three-week trip, away playing, and I think I just exhausted myself.

‘(There was) a lot of pressure while I was away and the build-up of all that kind of got too much.

‘I lost the plot on Thursday and snapped my cue so that’s unplayable, so I just knew at that moment in time, the right decision was not to play.’