Ronnie O’Sullivan is set to make a return to the German Masters in January after a hiatus of nine years from the event. Known as “The Rocket,” O’Sullivan has not participated in the tournament since 2017 but is now included in the draw for the £550,000 prize.
Having not competed in the event for almost a decade, O’Sullivan either did not register or withdrew after his last appearance in Berlin nine years ago. Despite attempting to enter in 2022, he was eliminated 5-0 by Hossein Vafaei in qualifying, preventing his journey to Germany.
The 50-year-old snooker legend will commence his campaign against Haris Tahir, Zhao Hanyang, or Long Zehuang in the opening match. He is among the top 16 seeded players, with Ding Junhui being the only absentee from the draw, which has been made public on the German Masters’ website.
The tournament is scheduled to kick off on January 26 at the Tempodrom in Berlin, with Kyren Wilson defending his championship title after a thrilling 10-9 victory against Barry Hawkins earlier this year.
Noteworthy contenders such as Judd Trump, Mark Selby, Zhao Xintong, Mark Williams, Neil Robertson, Mark Allen, and Shaun Murphy are also part of the lineup for the German Masters. O’Sullivan, however, has a history of last-minute withdrawals from events, leaving fans uncertain about his appearance in 2026.
Ranked eighth globally, O’Sullivan has yet to secure a ranking event win in the ongoing 2025/26 season. After tying the knot with former “EastEnders” star Laila Rouass in June, he relocated from Essex to Dubai in November, citing difficulties managing jet lag from frequent travels to the Middle East and China.
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