Ronnie O’Sullivan has warned he may stop competing in tournaments in the UK after his quarter-final defeat at the World Snooker Championship; O’Sullivan beat Stuart Bingham 13-10 at the Crucible, ending hopes of an eighth world title
Last updated: 5/2/24 11:16 p.m
Ronnie O’Sullivan addressed the media after his quarter-final exit at the World Snooker Championship
Ronnie O’Sullivan claimed he needed the persuasion of a new sponsor to take part in the World Snooker Championship after Stuart Bingham dashed his bid for a record eighth title in a huge quarter-final upset at the Crucible.
The 48-year-old recently signed a contract with the Saudis, which ironically requires him to sign a new contract with the World Snooker Tour to fulfill his commitment to play in the inaugural Saudi Masters in Riyadh at the end of August.
O’Sullivan was beaten 13-10 by Bingham on Wednesday, ending his hopes of winning the Triple Crown trophies cleanly in a season. The Englishman revealed after the game that he had only committed to taking part in the event after persuading a new sponsor.
Stuart Bingham secured a surprising 13-10 win to reach the semi-finals
“I didn’t want to play here until a new sponsor came along and they twisted my arm,” O’Sullivan told reporters. “If I hadn’t come here, I would have done (expert) days at Eurosport. They were pretty good with me, so I wanted to fulfill that.”
Asked what he would have done instead of competing, O’Sullivan said: “There are so many things to do in life. I have such a busy, beautiful life. I probably would have painted a bit with Damien.” [Hirst].
“I had something good to eat with him, took the dogs with me. Spent time with Laila.” [partner]I saw my kids, went to Champney’s Spa and spent maybe four or five days there. There are so many beautiful things to do.
Ronnie O’Sullivan lost the last three frames and was eliminated from the tournament
“I would have come here, spent a few days doing stuff at Eurosport, running on the peaks, going to the gym, eating good food. Yes, life, I probably would have done that. This probably sounds boring to you guys, but it sounds pretty damn exciting to me!”
Could O’Sullivan play less in the UK?
O’Sullivan will embark on an exhibition tour of China, Finland and Bulgaria next week, insisting he is hand-picking his future tournaments and increasingly keen on big-money offers from Saudi Arabia and the Far East.
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And with four more tournaments in China before the end of the year, O’Sullivan expects to collect enough prizes and ranking points to keep his appearances at the less attractive UK events to a minimum.
O’Sullivan said: “I have orders to carry out certain events in China and I have orders to travel to Saudi Arabia. Obviously they have priority, then it’s about spending time at home with the family.”
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Sky Sports’ Cam Hogwood explains how the World Snooker Championship could move on from the tournament’s legendary crucible
“First come first serve. I’ve already signed up for eight or nine tournaments. If I do really badly there I might have to step in and play a few tournaments here, but probably not.”
“I don’t just come to events, I also have to pay a tax. If people are willing to pay them, I will exploit my case. If not, I’m content to never play again and move on and do other things.
The lucrative opportunities elsewhere appear to have breathed new life into his career, as he shrugged off the loss to Bingham – and the loss of his No. 1 ranking – and insisted: “I like to get my cue out and I like the sound of the balls.” .”
Stuart Bingham meets Jak Jones in the semi-finals
O’Sullivan added: “You only have one life and I want to fulfill everything to the maximum, but I am also aware of my value and my time and what I bring to the sport.”
“As long as those needs are met, I will continue playing. If not, I’ll hang up the vest and hang up the cue. There’s enough going on at the moment to keep me interested in the game.”
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