Ronnie O’Sullivan has ‘two more chances’ to win eighth World Championship, ‘definitely’ will not enter qualifiers
Published 27/07/2026 at 18:51 GMT+1
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Ronnie O'Sullivan has said he has "two more chances" to win a record eighth World Championship, as he eyes the end of an illustrious career, one that has already put him level with Stephen Hendry in the modern era.
'That was unlucky!' - O'Sullivan accidentally pots pink to end promising break
Video credit: TNT Sports
O'Sullivan's latest World Championship came in 2022, when he defeated Judd Trump at the Crucible, but he has failed to return to the final since then.
Now 50, O’Sullivan has made a notable cut back on his tournament entries and, although he is still after that elusive eighth world title, he has suggested he will only have two more shots at it and that he will not be entering qualifiers.
Speaking following his win over Liu Linhao at the Shanghai Masters, he said: ”I’d love to win another World Championships, I’ve got two attempts here.
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'That was unlucky!' - O'Sullivan accidentally pots pink to end promising break
Video credit: TNT Sports
”The three years previously I feel like I wasn’t cueing well enough, so I feel like if I can find a bit of cueing and find some form at Sheffield, then if I don’t do it this year or the next year then it’ll definitely never happen.
”But no, I am pleased with my career, I am happy with how things have gone and I just want to try and enjoy these next two years and I’ll reassess it in 2028.
”If things are really going well and I’ve surprised myself then maybe you can extend it but you have to be realistic. I am definitely not going to be playing qualifiers, put it that way.”
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Ruling out playing qualifiers could quickly end his attempts at winning further titles, though, due to his significant drop-off in playing tournaments.
Only the top-16 players in the world qualify without entering qualifying, and O’Sullivan currently ranks 14th.
O'Sullivan admits that his age is catching up with him slightly in terms of how long it takes for him to recover from a match.
”I have to be realistic, I am 50 now, I play for two hours and I need to lay down for two or three hours and it is very hard for me to get going again," he said.
”This game, alright, you don’t have to run around a football pitch but mentally you have to concentrate and it is draining.
”When you are younger, you can just keep concentrating for hour upon hour and not get tired and have a break for an hour and go again.
”Now I am like, I need to have a lay down and anyone who tells you, you see your grandparents and you see them sleeping in their chair and you think 'wow', you just get a little bit more tired as you get a bit older.
”So I have to be realistic about what is possible, so we just have to accept that, especially when you see talent like that, you can’t fight it."
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