O’Sullivan’s top-16 place faces test as £200,000 ranking boost expires

Ronnie O’Sullivan is 13th in the world snooker rankings, but a £200,000 prize from the 2025 Saudi Arabia Masters makes his position more vulnerable when that result drops out of the ranking period. The seven-time world champion has said he would retire rather than play qualifying matches for the World Championship if he fell outside the top 16, who receive automatic entry. [1]

O’Sullivan has earned £513,750 in ranking-event prize money over the past two years, according to BBC Sport. That is £99,350 more than Ali Carter, currently 16th, and £154,650 ahead of Zhou Yuelong in 17th. The buffer may look substantial, but more than a third of O’Sullivan’s total comes from reaching the Saudi Masters final in August 2025.

That £200,000 will remain in the rankings beyond the 2027 World Championship, but will fall outside the calculation soon after the 2027-28 season begins. The Saudi tournament, which offered the biggest prize money outside UK-based competitions, was abolished in April, so O’Sullivan cannot defend the result there. [1]

His start to the 2026-27 season has been modest: a semi-final at the Wuhan Open is his best result in five tournaments. He followed two last-16 finishes with first-round defeats in Shenzhen and Belfast, where he lost at the Northern Ireland Open on Monday. [1]

O’Sullivan could strengthen his ranking by playing more events, but he has competed on a reduced schedule in recent years. BBC Sport notes that he has cited medical reasons or the need to prioritise his mental health when withdrawing from tournaments. In 2025-26, he played mainly in Asia and entered only two events in Britain: the UK Championship and the World Championship. [1]

In July, O’Sullivan told the World Snooker Tour he had “two attempts” left to win an eighth world title and surpass Stephen Hendry’s record of seven. “I’m not going to play qualifiers,” he said, adding that missing out on the top 16 would mean “the end of my career”. He said he hoped to continue for at least two more seasons. [1]

O’Sullivan last won the World Championship in 2022. His ranking place is not immediately under threat, but the expiry of his Saudi Masters earnings means strong results over the next 18 months could be important to his chances of automatic qualification for the 2028 championship.