January 17th 2024.
Ronnie O'Sullivan, the snooker legend known as "the Rocket," has announced that he will be taking a short break from tournament play after the World Grand Prix. Despite his incredible season so far, which includes wins at the UK Championship, Masters, and Shanghai Masters, the 48-year-old is ready for some rest and relaxation.
While he is currently competing at the World Grand Prix in Leicester, Ronnie has already planned out the rest of his season. He will likely skip the upcoming German Masters and Welsh Open, but he has expressed interest in qualifying for the World Open in Yushan and playing in the Players Championship in Telford.
In an interview with ITV after his first-round win against Pang Junxu, Ronnie admitted that he will be missing quite a few tournaments. "I shouldn't even really have come here to be honest with you," he said. "But I thought I'd earned my right here, so I'd turn up. In hindsight, I should have just bailed on this one as well. But I'm here now, so I'm going to give it my best shot."
Despite his break from competitive play, Ronnie will still be keeping his cue busy with plenty of exhibitions. "The main thing for me now is my exhibitions," he explained. "I'm contracted to do 20-25 a year, so I've got to make time for them. And I've also got 20-30 days of commitments for my sponsors, so there's two months. For me, that's important stuff."
He also mentioned the possibility of falling off the tour and needing a wildcard to get back in, saying, "I'd like to think if I fell off the tour, I might get a wildcard. But knowing World Snooker, they'd probably say, 'No, you ain't getting one.' I'm just trying to keep my tour card, really. I ain't bothered about winning tournaments."
Fans can catch Ronnie in action at the World Grand Prix on Thursday afternoon, where he will be facing off against Zhou Yuelong in the second round. In the meantime, there is plenty of drama surrounding Ronnie, including his longstanding feud with Ali Carter. But for now, the Rocket is focused on taking a well-deserved break and coming back refreshed for future tournaments.
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