Ronnie O’Sullivan says he will be competing at this year’s World Snooker Championship and is ‘looking forward’ to getting his campaign underway at the Crucible.
There had been mounting speculation that O’Sullivan may miss the 2025 tournament in Sheffield given snooker’s biggest name has been absent for much of the season.
The mercurial 47-year-old has not played competitively since as far back as January, when he featured at the Championship League.
But O’Sullivan managed just five matches in Leicester before withdrawing from the tournament, as the home favourite, Mark Selby, successfully defended his title.
As a result, The Rocket finds himself languishing down in 35th place on the one-year list, meaning he missed out on the opportunity to compete at both The Players and Tour Championships.
But speaking to TNT Sports, O’Sullivan put an end to the uncertainty over his involvement and confirmed he was ‘proud’ to continue his legacy at the World Snooker Championship, where he will be making a record 33rd appearance this year.
‘I’m proud to continue my record of having never missed a World Championship,’ the seven-time world champion explained.
‘I have many fond memories at The Crucible and look forward to making more in 2025.
‘I’ve enjoyed some good prep with my (new!) cue over the last week so feel good ahead of Tuesday.’
O’Sullivan added: ‘Before I’m at the table, I’ll be on the sofa for TNT Sports this Saturday and Sunday evening.
‘I’m really looking forward to seeing the team again and having some fun.’
O’Sullivan will begin his World Snooker Championship campaign against old foe Ali Carter, who is making his 21st appearance at the Crucible.
The 45-year-old – who has a long-running feud with O’Sullivan – sealed his spot in Sheffield with a pair of qualifying wins over Ian Burns and He Guoqiang.
After securing progression, Carter revealed that he had been playing through the pain with an ‘excruciating’ neck injury, which almost caused him to quit.
Quizzed on the prospect of renewing his rivalry with O’Sullivan, Carter replied: ‘No comment really.’
The 49th edition of the World Snooker Championship takes place between April 19 and May 5.
Kyren Wilson enters the tournament as the defending champion following his victory over Jak Jones in last year’s final.
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