Ronnie O'Sullivan withdraws from World Grand Prix for 'medical reasons', Hossein Vafaei replaces Rocket in Hong Kong
Updated 01/03/2025 at 14:50 GMT
React to this story
Ronnie O'Sullivan will no longer feature at next week's World Grand Prix in Hong Kong after pulling out for "medical reasons". The Rocket was expected to make his long-awaited return to action against Si Jiahui in the first round but has been replaced in the field by Hossein Vafaei, the WST has confirmed. The World Grand Prix will be live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
‘What a shot from The Wizard’ – Higgins pots difficult red in style
Video credit: TNT Sports
Ronnie O’Sullivan has withdrawn from the World Grand Prix for "medical reasons", the WST has confirmed.
The Rocket was due to defend his title in Hong Kong next week but has instead decided to extend his absence from the tour, having not played competitively since the Championship League at the start of January.
"Ronnie O'Sullivan has pulled out of next week's World Grand Prix in Hong Kong for medical reasons," the WST wrote in a short statement.
"O'Sullivan was due to face Si Jiahui in the opening round on Wednesday. Instead he will be replaced by the next player in line, Hossein Vafaei, who is 33rd in the Johnstone's Paint One-Year Rankings. Vafaei will replace O'Sullivan directly in the draw and will play Si.
"The tournament features the leading 32 players of the season so far and will run from March 4 to 9, staged in Hong Kong for the first time."
The seven-time world champion’s last competitive outing was at the Championship League in Leicester, where he snapped his cue and pulled out ahead of his final group match against Ali Carter.
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2025/02/14/4097813-83093913-2560-1440.jpg)
'Always a perfectionist' - White puts O'Sullivan's Welsh Open withdrawal down to 'stage fright'
Video credit: TNT Sports
That sparked a series of withdrawals from events like the Masters, the German Masters, the Welsh Open and the World Open.
The 49-year-old cited exhaustion as the reason for pulling out ahead of his highly-anticipated first-round clash against John Higgins at the Masters.
He then issued an apology after opting to withdraw from the Welsh Open just hours before his first-round match against Jamie Clarke was due to begin.
"I realise plenty of people who bought tickets to some recent snooker events will have been frustrated when I withdrew," O’Sullivan wrote on X at the time.
"So I just wanted to say sorry to those of you who’ve been disappointed with me having to pull out of those tournaments.
- Higgins wows fans with ‘shot of the century’ – but did he mean it?
- World Grand Prix 2025: How to watch on TV, live stream, schedule
"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."
O’Sullivan’s ongoing absence puts his participation in April’s World Championship in doubt. Should he recover in time, he will go for a record eighth world crown in what would be his 33rd consecutive appearance at the iconic Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.
- - -
Stream top snooker action, including the World Championship, live on discovery+
Related Topics
Advertisement
Advertisement