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Wales Online
a day ago
- Health
- Wales Online
Missing former snooker world champion announces 'truth' about long mystery absence
Missing former snooker world champion announces 'truth' about long mystery absence 'Me and my team are doing everything we can to come out of this stronger and better than before,' said the snooker ace Brecel (left) has opened up on his health struggles Former snooker world champion Luca Brecel has revealed he is "suffering from health problems", having been absent from tournaments for the last four months. The 30-year-old - who won the Snooker World Championship in 2023 - has pulled out of qualifiers for both the Wuhan and British Opens, as well as the Championship League in recent weeks. He last took to the table at this year's World Championship at the Crucible in April, when he was knocked out in the quarter-finals by Judd Trump. Brecel was due to participate at the Saudi Arabia Masters over the weekend but withdrew from his scheduled match on Sunday due to what he said were "medical reasons". He has now opened up on his health struggles in a social media post, as he issued a message to his followers explaining why he had been missing from the circuit for months. In a story posted on his Instagram account, 'The Belgian Bullet' said: "Hi everyone, some of you might have been wondering why I am not participating in snooker events since April. "The truth is that I am suffering with health problems. Me and my team are doing everything we can to come out of this stronger and better than before. Article continues below "It's been really frustrating to not be able to travel and compete in tournaments," he added. "But... I always choose to be optimistic! Tough times often lead to something great!" The exact nature of Brecel's health issues has not been disclosed, but they are clearly serious enough to prevent him from travelling to tournaments from his home in Belgium. His medical setback comes within a difficult period in the Belgian star's career, which has stalled somewhat since he was crowned world champion two years ago. That victory saw him defeat four-time champion Mark Selby in the final and propelled him to number two in the world, but Brecel has since endured a tough couple of years. His performances at tournaments last season saw him slip to 39th in the World Snooker Tour rankings, while his health struggles have meant he has missed the first four events of the new snooker calendar. Article continues below When Brecel will return to action remains to be seen, but his earliest opportunity won't come until early September, with the Xi'an Grand Prix and Northern Ireland Open qualifiers both potential options. It comes after six-time world champion Steve Davis described Brecel as "the most jaw-dropping player" in world snooker after a stunning win over Ding Junhui at the Crucible earlier this year. "We all have our favourites," Davis told the BBC. "But this is the most jaw-dropping player in the game, for me. He is astonishing."
The Irish Sun
08-07-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Mark Williams delays major surgery after making history as oldest World Snooker Championship finalist
HALF-BLIND Mark Williams has delayed his eye lens replacement operation following his historic run to the Crucible final. And the Welsh cueing veteran remains unsure if he will go through with the procedure. Advertisement 2 Mark Williams was supposed to undergo eye lens replacement surgery Credit: Getty 2 But he's decided to push back the procedure in the wake of his impressive Snooker World Championship run Credit: REUTERS That's despite paying a deposit to his local Optical Express branch. In March, after losing in the Players Championship in Telford, the 50-year-old revealed that 'every single shot seems blurry' because his 'eyes have gone'. It was a surprising revelation from a top-class sportsman, but the three-time world champion has been struggling for a while with his vision. Yet amazingly, he made it all the way to the Snooker World Championship final – he became the oldest finalist in history when he dumped Advertisement READ MORE SNOOKER NEWS Zhao Xintong proved too strong, winning 18-12 across four sessions, but Williams banked £200,000 for his troubles. Eye surgery was booked in for June 12, but the world No.3 has now postponed that for the time being. And sources close to the player say the father-of-three 'will take more time to think about it'. Anthony Hamilton , who retired this summer from professional sport, told Williams not to go through with the op, claiming it 'ruined his career'. Advertisement Most read in Snooker JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS World Snooker Championship 2025 THE World Snooker Championship has concluded after a thrilling final! Follow all the reaction with SunSport's live blog of the World Snooker Championship Latest News Snooker Explained FULL results for 2025 How much prize money was won? Who were the BBC snooker presenters and pundits? What is on Zhao Xintong's bow tie? Williams joked at the Crucible that he might ask for his deposit back as he was undecided about what to do. There was nothing wrong with his eyesight as he hit a 147 in Shanghai this week in an exhibition. Mark Williams apologises for swearing in live TV interview on the BBC after reaching World Snooker Championship final Williams – who has dabbled in the past with contact lenses – opened up his 2025-26 season with a 5-0 thrashing of Thai cueist Chatchapong Nasa in Wuhan Open qualifying Advertisement
The Irish Sun
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Ronnie O'Sullivan quitting UK alongside actress Laila Rouass as he ‘can't go to shop without being asked for a selfie'
RONNIE O'SULLIVAN has upped sticks from the UK because he couldn't get a moment's peace when he stepped out of his front door. After being dumped out of the Snooker World Championship , O'Sullivan revealed his intention to leave the UK and move to the Middle East. 3 Ronnie O'Sullivan has upped sticks from the United Kingdom and moved to the UAE Credit: GETTU 3 One of the reasons 'The Rocket' has left Old Blighty is because he's sick and tired of being stopped for selfies Credit: GETTY 'The Rocket', fresh off his Dubai his permanent new home. A better quality of life is no doubt one of the reasons O'Sullivan is set to make the UAE his new home. But the ability to walk the streets without being hounded for a selfie is also one of the reasons he's decided to leave Old Blighty. His long-time manager Jason Francis told READ MORE ON RONNIE "You'll probably see him first in Shanghai. He's had a little break from the UK. 'You're talking about someone who can't go to the shop without being asked for a selfie, a photo. "Where he is, he's finding a life a little bit quieter at the moment. 'Ronnie's Ronnie. He'll decide when he wants to play and everyone knows he can come from nowhere to win a major tournament. Most read in Sport JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS 'I'd rather not have the snooker, just a normal family' - Inside Ronnie O'Sullivan's troubled childhood RONNIE O'SULLIVAN has enjoyed an incredible career as snooker's biggest star. But the Rocket's turbulent past has led to struggles with mental health, addiction and yo-yo weight battles. O'Sullivan's parents ran a chain of sex shops in Essex and his father was jailed for 20 years for murder when he was just 16. In the Amazon documentary The Edge of Everything, the snooker icon admitted his dad going to prison had a profound effect. He said: "I didn't want to blame everything on that situation with my dad, but I was thinking, 'I'd rather not have the snooker. just a normal family'. Because… It was a dream, but looking back, it was a nightmare." Just a year later, Ronnie became the youngest ever UK Champion, seven days before his 18th birthday. Then at 19, in 1994, he became the youngest Masters champion. But he has already begun to binge on drink and drugs and, when his mum was sent to prison for tax evasion, in 1996, he struggled to cope with looking after his eight–year-old sister alone. Read more: 'You won't see Ronnie play a full schedule [this season] but I think you'll see him try and properly prepare for the tournaments he plays in. "He'll still be the sport's most commercial player in the short-term. Zhao Xintong's classy act towards Ronnie O'Sullivan revealed after knocking legend out of World Snooker Championship "Whether Zhao Xintong or [Judd] Trump can pick up that mantle now as we transition. "Ronnie will be 50 in December, people have to remember that. "They still expect him to turn up and win everything.' Reflecting on O'Sullivan's semi-final exit at the Crucible at the hands of Xintong, Francis said: "Absolutely incredible. 'He didn't even have a cue a few weeks before! But that's Ronnie for you. "He had one bad session [losing all eight frames in the second session]. 'I'm not saying he could have beaten Xintong – there was a feeling his name was on the trophy. "But apart from one bad session, he was still toe to toe with him. 'I think if he had beaten Xintong, him and Mark Williams would have been an incredible final. 3 Ronnie O'Sullivan recently reconciled with actress Laila Rouass Credit: GETTY "But it's great for snooker to have a Chinese world champion and it's for World Snooker to exploit that.' The Sun exclusively revealed O'Sullivan's reconciliation with Rouass, whom he was separated from for nine months. A source said: 'They have been back together for a while. The time apart gave them time to think about what they want and what is important to them — and that is being together. 'Ronnie is moving to the Middle East and Laila is going with him. "They've talked about living in Dubai, which is just a two-hour flight from where Ronnie has his snooker academy in Saudi Arabia. "He has spoken to people on his snooker circuit about the move and is excited about a clean break from the UK for him and Laila. 'They have had their issues in the past but Ronnie and Laila have worked through it and seem really happy again. 'The people who know them think they make a great couple and just want them to live a happy, quiet life.'
The Irish Sun
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Ronnie O'Sullivan is BACK with Strictly star Laila Rouass as they quit UK for shock new life abroad
SNOOKER star Ronnie O'Sullivan and girlfriend Laila Rouass are loopy for each other again nine months after splitting up. The pair have rekindled Advertisement 3 Ronnie O'Sullivan and girlfriend Laila Rouass are back together again Credit: Getty 3 The snooker champ plans to head off to the UAE with actress and Strictly star Laila Credit: Rex 3 Seven-time world champion Ronnie is selling his £2million house Credit: Getty Seven-time world champion A source told us: 'They have been back together for a while. 'The time apart gave them time to think about what they want and what is important to them — and that is being together. ' Advertisement Read more on Ronnie O'Sullivan 'He has spoken to people on his snooker circuit about the move and is excited about a clean break from the UK for him and 'They have had their issues in the past but 'The people who know them think they make a great couple and just want them to live a happy, quiet life.' Ronnie — nicknamed the Rocket because of his explosive stayle of play — proposed to Laila in 2013, a year after they started dating. Advertisement Most read in Snooker The Sun first revealed they had ended their engagement last September after his hectic work schedule pushed them apart. The source added: 'They've been on and off before but Ronnie really wants to make it work with Zhao Xintong's classy act towards Ronnie O'Sullivan revealed after knocking legend out of World Snooker Championship 'She will be joining him in the Middle East and they'll see how it goes.' Ronnie first revealed his dream of moving abroad earlier this year but said it was early days. Advertisement However, following his defeat in the Snooker World Championship semi-finals in May, he said: 'I think I am going to be moving out of the UK this year. 'I'll be moving away to the Middle East. We'll see how it goes — I might be back in six months. 'A new life somewhere else. I don't know how that is going to pan out. 'I will still try to play snooker but I don't know what the future looks like for me really. Advertisement 'It is a big part of my life but I have to try and figure out what my future looks like, whether it's playing or not.'
The Irish Sun
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Ronnie O'Sullivan ‘finally' signs up for lucrative side hustle as snooker legend tells fans ‘stay tuned'
SNOOKER icon Ronnie O'Sullivan has confirmed a major decision... by creating a YouTube channel. 2 Ronnie O'Sullivan has announced he has joined YouTube Credit: PA 2 The seven-time world champion released a video to go with the launch Credit: Reuters But now the Rocket will be able to spread that joy even more after announcing his latest venture as a YouTuber under the username: The seven-time world champion published his first video on the platform on Wednesday afternoon. Announcing the move on social media, he said: "Finally gone and got a YouTube page… "I will be uploading all sorts here from some of my favourite shots and matches to me cooking to me meeting and chatting to some interesting people. READ MORE IN SNOOKER "Hope you guys enjoy it!!" In the 25-second shorts video, backed by the song Dreams by Izabel & Waverly, O'Sullivan did not say a word. Instead, it showed him in hitting a 147 in practice while in The channel had previously shown a clip of him making his 1000th professional century at the 2019 Players Championship final. Most read in Snooker BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK However, that clip was seemingly swiftly removed. Regardless, the solo video on the channel proved popular with fans as it was watched 4.7k times. Zhao Xintong's classy act towards Ronnie O'Sullivan revealed after knocking legend out of World Snooker Championship The video was also liked more than 500 times on its first day, and has already served to connect his fan base around the globe. Fans were also very supportive of the move, with one saying: "Love you so much Ronnie. I am one of your biggest fans. Welcome to YouTube Legendary Snooker Lord. Greetings and sending lots of love to you from Turkey." A second said: "Watched you in Manchester two years ago and was amazing, you will do so well on YouTube and hopefully keeps you going!!!" A third said: "About time you set a page. Keep it up." Another said: "Congrats Ronnie. Greetings from Moldova." A fifth said: "Hello Ronnie! Loved watching you since I was a kid. All the best for the future of the channel!" O'Sullivan made it to the semi-finals of the most recent Snooker World Championship. There, he suffered a crushing 17-7 defeat to eventual first-time The Rocket has already invested in programs for the next generation, including a snooker academy in his name in Saudi Arabia. Speaking about his future, the snooker icon said: "I think I'm going to be moving out of the UK this year. A new life somewhere else. "I'll still try and play snooker but I don't know what the future looks like for me really. "I'm moving away soon so I'll just see how it goes. There's a lot of more important things in life to worry about than a game of snooker. "For me, it's a big part of my life, but I've got to try and figure out what my future looks like, whether it's playing or not. "I'll be moving away to the Middle East but we'll see how it goes. I might be back in six months, who knows?" Inside Ronnie's colourful career FROM his lightning breaks to blasts at officials, Ronnie O'Sullivan has fired snooker into the spotlight. The seven-time world champion makes almost as big an impact away from the table as on it. O'Sullivan And the Rocket's He has While the controversial cueist reckons he Despite His And Ali Carter had his nose knocked out of joint by the Rocket in their Check out all our
