Ronnie O’Sullivan has declared his intention to prioritise financial incentives next season, following his dramatic 13-12 defeat by John Higgins at the World Snooker Championship.
The seven-time Crucible champion’s comments come as his future earning potential faces uncertainty after the recent cancellation of the Saudi Masters, a tournament that was two years into a lucrative 10-year contract.
O’Sullivan, who established a snooker academy in Riyadh around the time of the original deal in 2024, made it clear that his participation hinges on financial remuneration.
“Any tournament I go to, they all know they have to get the chequebook out,” he stated. “If that stops, then I stop. Whenever it is – Saudi, Qatar, China, here, whatever it is – I always make sure I’ve got some sort of fee coming because otherwise people know that I won’t turn up.”
O’Sullivan, who is currently based in Dubai, emphasised his alternative options.
“I have other options so I’m not really worried. Hopefully Saudi will still want to do some stuff, but we’ll have to wait and see. I’ll make my decisions based on whatever happens there.”
The cancellation of the Saudi Masters, considered the second most lucrative event on the snooker calendar, has frustrated many top players.
However, the non-ranking Riyadh Season Snooker Championship, which features a distinctive $1 million ‘golden ball’, is expected to continue.
O’Sullivan has maintained a selective schedule this season, competing in less than half of the available ranking tournaments and missing all UK events apart from the World and UK Championships.
Despite this, he plans to return to The Crucible for the World Seniors Championship at the end of next week, where he is set to face either Ken Doherty or Gerard Greene on 8 May.
Reflecting on his approach, O’Sullivan added: “If my sponsors are on board then I’ll play, but I’m not two-feet in like most of the guys. I’m just grateful to be playing and enjoying my playing.
“If I don’t enjoy it, I’ll take time out – we’ll see. I’ll just go back to Ireland, chill there and come back whenever I’ve got to play. It’s work. Got to go to work. Got bills to pay. Got a lot of people on the payroll.”
