Ronnie O'Sullivan Hints at Retirement After 2028
Rolf Kalb reflects on the possible end of Ronnie O’Sullivan’s career in 2028. The 50-year-old hinted at it after his performance at the Shanghai Masters.
O’Sullivan believes he has just two more chances to win the eighth World Championship title he craves. Speaking to the World Snooker Tour (WST), he said: “If I don’t achieve it in 2027 or 2028, then it’s not going to happen.”
O’Sullivan has nothing left to prove. He has achieved more than anyone else in the modern game. There is hardly a record that the fan favourite hasn’t broken. But he is also a realist. Last December he turned 50. O’Sullivan is well aware that most of his career is behind him. And he knows it’s only going to get harder.
Ronnie is a true competitor. He sets himself the highest goals. An athlete without ambition is unthinkable, at least in professional sport. “The Rocket” has never hidden the fact that an eighth world title is his final great target. With eight, he would stand alone as the all-time record holder. After the 2028 World Championship, he says, it could be the end:
“I have to be realistic.” At the same time, he added: “I want to try to enjoy these two years.”
Regardless of what happens, he is at peace with what he’s accomplished:
“I’m happy with my career and the way things have gone.”
O’Sullivan also hinted that the physical demands have grown:
“If I play for two hours, then I need two or three hours to recover. It’s mentally draining — constantly concentrating. When you’re younger, you can do that for hours.”
Above all, one hopes he finds peace and contentment. But Ronnie O’Sullivan wouldn’t be Ronnie O’Sullivan if he didn’t leave the door open. In the same conversation with WST, he also said:
“In 2028 I’ll reassess everything, and if things are going well, maybe I’ll add more time.”
At the time of writing, Ronnie O’Sullivan is competing at the Shanghai Masters against defending champion Kyren Wilson for a place in the quarter-finals.
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