Overview
- Ronnie O'Sullivan said he believes he has only two realistic shots left to win an eighth World Championship after opening his 2026–27 season with a strong win at the Shanghai Masters.
- He told the World Snooker Tour that he will not enter World Championship qualifying rounds and that being forced to qualify would mark the end of his career.
- O'Sullivan, 50, said the game is more draining now because he needs long recovery after matches and he plans to reassess his future in 2028, though he may extend if form permits.
- Despite compiling multiple high breaks in Shanghai, he was eliminated in the second round by Kyren Wilson, who beat him 6-4 to reach the quarter-finals.
- A slip outside the top 16 in world rankings — reported around 12th — would force qualification for the Crucible and complicate O'Sullivan's final pursuit of a record-breaking eighth title against rising younger players.