Ronnie O’Sullivan to make surprise return in £550k tournament after long absence
Ronnie O’Sullivan has pulled out of several big tournaments over 2025, but the seven-time world champion is planning to take part in the German Masters in January
Ronnie O’Sullivan is planning to play at the German Masters in January in an appearance that will end a nine-year absence from the event. The Rocket has not played in the main stages of the tournament since 2017, but is in the draw for the £550,000 prize this time around.
O’Sullivan has either not entered or withdrawn since his last trip to Berlin for the tournament nine years ago. He did enter in 2022 but lost 5-0 to Hossein Vafaei in qualifying in Cannock, meaning he never made it to Germany.
The 50-year-old will play Haris Tahir, Zhao Hanyang or Long Zehuang in his opening match. He is among the top 16 seeds, with only Ding Junhui absent from the draw, which has been posted on the German Masters’ website.
The tournament is scheduled to begin on January 26 at the Tempodrom in Berlin. Kyren Wilson will arrive as defending champion, having beaten Barry Hawkins 10-9 in a thrilling deciding frame at the start of this year.
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Judd Trump will also fancy his chances, having triumphed in three of the last six editions. Wilson, Trump, Mark Selby, Zhao Xintong, Mark Williams, Neil Robertson, Mark Allen and Shaun Murphy are all in the draw for the German Masters.
O’Sullivan does have a history of withdrawing from events at the last minute, so supporters may be holding their breath for his appearance in 2026. The seven-time world champion pulled out of the British Open in September due to “medical reasons”, having also ducked out of the Wuhan Open the previous month.
At the start of 2025, O’Sullivan pulled out of the German Masters, the Masters and matches in the Championship League in order to prioritise his mental health.
“I’ve been trying to prioritise my health and wellbeing, which sometimes means making last-minute decisions not to play,” said O’Sullivan at the time. “It’s never an easy decision and I hate letting people down.
“I realise plenty of people who bought tickets to some recent snooker events will have been frustrated when I withdrew, so I just wanted to say sorry. I’m doing what I can to get back to my best, and I’m grateful for all your support and understanding.”
O’Sullivan is currently ranked eighth in the world, but he has not won a ranking event in the 2025/26 season yet. He moved from Essex to Dubai in November after marrying former Footballers’ Wives and EastEnders actress Laila Rouass in June.
“I work a lot in the Middle East and China, and the jet lag, I could never get on top of it. That was a struggle,” he told The Times.
Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £336 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games next season, an increase of up to 100 more.
