Ronnie O'Sullivan's next move – plan to leave UK, snubbed TV job, retirement update

The future of legend is once again a topic of hot debate following his turbulent appearance at the The chatter around whether the seven-time winner would appear at the Crucible was palpable, given he hadn't played since smashing his cue in anger in January.

To the delight of fans, O'Sullivan turned up and played. But despite making it to the semi-finals, the 49-year-old often looked anything but happy, voicing issues with both his cue and his confidence levels.

In a remarkable move, O'Sullivan even had his during his comprehensive defeat to eventual champion Zhao Xintong. With snooker followers eagerly awaiting his next move, here's the current state of play in the of the Rocket...

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TV job rejection

O'Sullivan has made himself at home on Eurosport/TNT Sports broadcasts, offering expert analysis during tournaments he’s competed in and some that he’s decided to sit out, such as the Masters, which followed the cue-snapping tirade.

However, O'Sullivan didn't hang around following his Crucible exit to Zhao, declining the opportunity to cover the final. When asked by a TNT Sports interviewer if he would be analysing the rest of the tournament, he replied: "I won't be there for the rest of this tournament. I'll be going home now."

However, O'Sullivan's ties with TNT and his mate Jimmy White, a regular pundit on the network, point towards him being a fixture in the studio for years to come.

Fresh retirement stance

O'Sullivan has been considering retirement for years, even though his rollercoaster affair with snooker sees him bounce back to the baize time and again. Following his exit from the World Championship, questions about his plans were inevitable.

True to form, Rocket was vague, seemingly not knowing the answer himself. However, he strongly hinted that he wants to keep playing, even if his appearances will be limited. He said: "I'll still try and play snooker but I don't know what the future looks like for me really."

If O'Sullivan becomes an occasional player, his ranking could take a dive, potentially leaving him out of the top 16. Such a drop would mean having to battle through qualifying rounds for major events like the UK Championship and the World Championship, and not even making the Masters. Whether he would have the motivation to play in low-key qualifying events is questionable.

That said, he insists he aspires to enjoy his snooker rather than hoover up more trophies, saying ahead of the Crucible: "I don't have to win tournaments, but I just want to feel like I'm enjoying the game. I'd like to go out with a smile on my face."

Middle East move

O'Sullivan's future seems increasingly tied to the Middle East, with plans to relocate and immerse himself in his Saudi Arabia snooker academy. Speaking after his defeat to Zhao, he revealed: "I think I'm going to be moving out of the UK this year. A new life somewhere else.

"I'm moving away soon so I'll just see how it goes. There's a lot of more important things in life to worry about than a game of snooker. For me, it's a big part of my life but I've got to try and figure out what my future looks like, whether it's playing or not.

"I'll be moving away to the Middle East but we'll see how it goes. I might be back in six months, who knows? "There are going to be a few changes in my life so we'll see how that goes."

New tournament offer

In an intriguing turn of events, the Rocket could feature in a new tournament at the Crucible. With World Seniors Snooker (WSS) opening its doors to any player over 45, barring conflicts with World Snooker Tour (WST) dates, O'Sullivan is now eligible for participation alongside peers like Mark Williams and John Higgins.

The opportunity has arisen from the dissolved partnership between WST and WSS, with O'Sullivan's manager, Jason Francis, the chairman of WSS, keen on adding more star power to his event.