Ronnie O'Sullivan set to miss Players Championship in Telford as seven-time world champion's UK absence continues

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Ronnie O'Sullivan has dropped out of the world's top 10, and his ranking will not receive a boost at the Players Championship later this month, with the seven-time Crucible winner missing the Telford tournament, held between February 17-22. Only the top 16 on the sport's one-year list qualify, and O'Sullivan has missed the deadline for entry, meaning the 17th-ranked player will earn a spot.

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Ronnie O'Sullivan's absence from key snooker tournaments in the UK is set to continue with the seven-time world champion opting out of the Players Championship in Telford later this month.

Since snapping his cue at the Championship League in Leicester at the outset of 2025, O'Sullivan has competed in only two tournaments on home soil: the World Championship last April and the UK Championship in December.

He has twice missed the Masters in London, with his preference to compete in overseas events continuing in recent weeks at the German Masters in Berlin and the World Grand Prix in Hong Kong.

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And the snooker GOAT remains without a ranking title victory since January 2024 when he overcame Judd Trump 10-7 at the World Grand Prix.

He suffered a 5-3 defeat to Xiao Guodong in the last 16 of the Grand Prix on Thursday after losing 5-3 to Ali Carter in the last 32 in Germany last week - and his limited schedule has seen him drop out of the world's top 10.

The world No. 11 will be replaced by the 17th player on the one-year list for the Players Championship after failing to confirm his participation with tournament organisers by Wednesday's deadline.

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Whether his home appearances will increase in forthcoming months remains to be seen, with the Welsh Open in Llandudno, the Tour Championship in Manchester and the World Championship in Sheffield the three major tournaments remaining this season in the UK.

O'Sullivan lost 10-9 to Neil Robertson in the final of the Saudi Arabia Masters in August, but has not gone beyond the quarter-final of a ranking event since that narrow defeat, losing 5-2 to Gary Wilson in the last eight of the Xi'an Grand Prix in October.

He was scathing about his performance in Hong Kong despite completing a 5-3 win over Joe O'Connor in the first round with a highest break of 72.

"It’s just my bad is a lot badder than it used to be, and my good is not as good," O’Sullivan told reporters. "There was no rustiness, I felt relaxed. I’m just not a very good player anymore".

But he continues to enjoy the challenge of competing despite missing the Wuhan Open, English Open, British Open, Northern Ireland Open, Champion of Champions, Shoot Out, Scottish Open and Masters so far in the 2025/26 campaign.

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"Deep down, I enjoy playing," he said. "I have to accept [I’m not as good as I was] and find a way to keep playing without it driving me crazy.

"I have to manage my frustrations, and hope the snooker gods will be kind and put me to rest when they decide the time is right."

O'Sullivan has stated his ambition to chase a record eighth world title in Sheffield, but the World Open in Yushan (March 16-22) is the only ranking event outside the UK before the 50th World Championship (April 18-May 4).

"The more this goes on without match practise, going into trying to beat Stephen Hendry’s record of winning eight world titles which is coming up in three months’ time, it is not a lot of match practice for sharpness," Jimmy White said on TNT Sports during the Masters.

"It would just be nice to see him play, he is wonderful to watch."

O'Sullivan will be in good company in missing the Players Championship with the defending champion Kyren Wilson failing to qualify for the Telford International Centre.