Ronnie O'Sullivan to leave the UK, planning 'new life somewhere else' after defeat at World Snooker Championship
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Published 03/05/2025 at 15:43 GMT+1
Seven-time world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan says he will be moving to the Middle East in search of a "new life somewhere else". The Rocket's dreams of an eighth title at the Crucible were crushed on Friday when he lost to Zhao Xintong in the 2025 World Snooker Championship semi-final. O'Sullivan, 49, has previously spoken about boosting the sport's presence in Saudi Arabia.
'I think I have lost what I used to have' - O'Sullivan reflects on loss to Zhao
Video credit: TNT Sports
Ronnie O'Sullivan has said he is planning a "new life somewhere else" following his defeat at the 2025 World Snooker Championship.
The seven-time world champion returned to competitive action for the first time since January, leaving fans guessing right up until the last moment before confirming his participation at the iconic Crucible.
But despite some flashes of brilliance, it wasn’t to be for The Rocket who was knocked out in the semi-final by 28-year-old Chinese sensation, Zhao Xintong.
O'Sullivan's dreams of an eighth world championship were crushed in three sessions, as the impressive Zhao took control to win 17–7.
After admitting his confidence is as low as it’s ever been, O’Sullivan cast further doubt over his snooker career, revealing he’ll be moving out of the UK this year.
"I’ll be moving away to the Middle East. We’ll see how it goes, I might be back in six months," he said.
"A new life somewhere else. I don’t know how that is going to pan out.
"I will still try to play snooker but I don’t know what the future looks like for me, really.
"It is a big part of my life but I have to try and figure out what my future looks like, whether it’s playing or not."
- Williams leads Trump going into thrilling semi-final decider
- Zhao reaches final in three sessions after stunning win over lacklustre O'Sullivan
Widely regarded as the best player in snooker history, O’Sullivan has been vocal about growing the sport’s presence in Saudi Arabia.
This took a major step forward in October 2024 when he opened the Ronnie O’Sullivan Snooker Academy in Riyadh, the Saudi capital.
"I would love to see tour players and even world champions from Saudi Arabia one day, and it will give me great satisfaction to play a role in their development," he said at the time.
There has been speculation over O’Sullivan’s future following his defeat to Zhao on Friday, with The Rocket himself questioning his game.
Despite arriving at the Crucible with no expectations, the 49-year-old was critical of his performances in Sheffield.
"I felt like I missed a lot of shots, my cue ball was pretty much all over the place," he told TNT Sports.
"I have been bad for about four years, I have put in quite a lot of those performances.
"Sometimes you get a thought and I know what I need to do and am not far off. But I am so far away, so I don’t know where to begin to fix it. That is the worrying part.
"I think I have lost what I used to have and I am so confused. It is really a struggle.
"Not a lot of positives to take from me playing the game the last few years. I don’t know where to go from this."
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'Immaculate snooker' - Zhao runs riot over O'Sullivan with another century in dominant session
Video credit: TNT Sports
The 2025 World Snooker Championship continues in Sheffield this evening with Judd Trump and Mark Williams playing for a place in the final.
Williams leads 13–11 going into their fourth and final semi-final session.
Watch and stream top snooker action, including the World Championship, live and on demand on TNT Sports and discovery+
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