Who will be the big winner if Ronnie O'Sullivan opts to withdraw from 2026 Masters snooker?
Published 02/12/2025 at 09:33 GMT
The 52nd Masters, the sport's biggest invitational tournament, will be held at Alexandra Palace in London between January 11-18, live on TNT Sports and discovery+. The final 16 for the Masters will be confirmed after the UK Championship with the draw for the first round of the tournament being staged during the UK final on Sunday. But will eight-time winner Ronnie O'Sullivan enter this year?
No Filter: Access All Areas with Ronnie O'Sullivan at The Masters
Video credit: TNT Sports
Chris Wakelin suffered a surprise early exit in the third round of qualifying for the UK Championship, losing 6-3 to world No. 82 Mitchell Mann, but the former Shoot Out winner is not yet out of the running to earn a spot at the Masters.
Wakelin is 17th in the ranking list for the 16-player invitational event at Alexandra Palace next month, taking between January 11-18 live on TNT Sports and discovery+, meaning he is set to miss out on a second straight appearance at the tournament.
But Ronnie O'Sullivan, the Dubai-based record eight-time champion, has suggested he may opt to miss the invitational event to focus on the Tour Championship in Manchester and World Championship in Sheffield later in the season, which would open the door for Wakelin to earn an invite.
A spot in the Masters is worth £25,000 to every player, with Shaun Murphy picking up a whopping £350,000 for his final 10-7 victory over Kyren Wilson last year.
O'Sullivan, who faces Zhou Yuelong in his UK opener at York's Barbican on Tuesday afternoon, withdrew last year only days before he was due to face 'Class of '92' rival John Higgins after smashing up his cue at the Championship League.
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2020/08/13/2863699-59019988-2560-1440.png)
'You can celebrate now!' - The moment Murphy sealed second Masters title with sublime century
Video credit: TNT Sports
O'Sullivan has previous of deciding to skip the elite tournament, opting to sit out the London event in 2013 when he was replaced by then world No. 17 Mark Davis.
And again in 2020, when he was replaced by old rival Ali Carter, who reached the final before losing 10-8 to Stuart Bingham.
- UK Championship: Latest scores, results, order of play, prize money as Trump defends title
- How China's snooker revolution was built by Ding on England's green baize
- At 50, the Rocket is still flying, and we must continue to enjoy him
Neil Robertson replaced O'Sullivan last season, producing a comeback from 5-1 down to defeat Higgins 6-5 before losing 6-2 to Murphy in the quarter-finals, who went on to claim his second Masters title.
If O'Sullivan does decide to participate, Wakelin would miss the event, but there also remains a chance for several players to qualify via the UK Championship.
Elliot Slessor, Zhang Anda, Pang Junxu, Lei Peifan and Zhou can all secure a spot at the Masters, but only if they claim the £250,000 first prize in York.
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2025/12/01/image-4c316e0b-81bd-4de1-934f-7f5069abd66e-85-2560-1440.jpeg)
'Where the dream started' - Ding Junhui reflects on first UK Championship win at 18
Video credit: TNT Sports
In theory, Slessor could qualify by earning £100,000 for reaching the UK final, but again only if O'Sullivan does not accept his invite.
---
Watch and stream the 2025/26 snooker season, including the 49th UK Championship, live on TNT Sports and discovery+
Related Topics
Advertisement
Advertisement