According to the media today, Ronnie and Laila are back together – have been back together for some time actually – and are planning to move together to the Middle East.

Here is one of the press articles about it

Ronnie O’Sullivan ‘back together with Laila Rouass’ and decide on quitting UK

Snooker star Ronnie O’Sullivan and girlfriend Laila Rouass have rekindled their romance.

By Charlie Parker-Turner

Snooker star Ronnie O’Sullivan has reportedly rekindled his relationship with Laila Rouass. The couple spent 13 years together and were engaged before they announced that they had split just nine months ago.

The split came at a time when O’Sullivan was enduring one of his toughest times at the table, and he has hardly featured in recent months – having headed into the World Snooker Championship with very little public preparation.

But, according to The Sun, O’Sullivan has reconciled with Rouass and the pair are back together. The couple are now planning for a move away to Dubai for a ‘clean break’, with their home now up for sale. The property, based in Epping Forest, is up for sale for £2million.

O’Sullivan and Rouass are said to have been back together ‘for a while’ and that their split last year has helped them recognise how they both want to be back together. The Rocket has also openly discussed moving to the UAE with his snooker rivals, which is just a two-hour flight from his snooker academy in Saudi Arabia.

The couple are now ‘really happy again’ and now they hope that the switch to the Dubai will allow them to lead a ‘happy, quiet life’.

O’Sullivan announced his plans to leave the United Kingdom last month after his defeat to Zhao Xingtong at the World Championship. He reached the semi-finals of the competition before crashing hands at the hands of the Chinese star, who went on the win the entire tournament.

O’Sullivan announced his plans to leave the United Kingdom last month after his defeat to Zhao Xingtong at the World Championship. He reached the semi-finals of the competition before crashing hands at the hands of the Chinese star, who went on the win the entire tournament.
The 49-year-old said: “There’s going to be a few changes in my life, so I’ll see how that goes. I think I’m going to be moving out of the UK as well this year. So I don’t know how that’s all going to pan out, to be honest with you. I’m going to start a new life somewhere else. I’ll still try to play snooker but I don’t know what the future looks like for me really.”

Pressed on whether his switch would indicate that retirement was on the horizon, O’Sullivan insisted: “Am I not playing again? I’m not saying anything. I’ve said it so many times. I’m not saying anything other than I’m moving away soon. There’s a lot 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. See how it goes. I might be back in six months, who knows!”

A few days ago I had seen a “reel” on social media, shared by Ronnie, showing what his typical day is. I thought it was “old stuff” because it showed him caring for two dogs… apparently I was wrong 😉, and I’m happy about it 😊. Clearly those two love each other deeply but Ronnie isn’t easy to live with, because his job and because he’s bipolar and Laila also has a career that is demanding.

…

WST has published the draw and format for the 2025 Shanghai Masters

Shanghai Masters 2025 Draw

The world’s top 16 players are all in the field for the 2025 Shanghai Masters, to take place from July 28 to August 3.

Click here for the draw

Click here for the match schedule

The prestigious invitation event, with a top prize of £210,000, features the top 16 in the Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings, plus the next four highest ranked Chinese players as well as four amateur wild cards.

Judd Trump beat Shaun Murphy in the final last season, and in his opening match this time he will meet either Neil Robertson or Pang Junxu. Zhao Xintong will play his first match as World Champion against either Chris Wakelin or a wild card. Ronnie O’Sullivan, a five-time winner of the event, will be up against either Barry Hawkins or Wu Yize.

So … here is how the first rounds are scheduled (hours are CET)

28 July 2025 – 3 h30

Match 5 – Si Jiahui v wildcard -> Match 13 – Winner plays Kyren Wilson on 29 July, 8h

Match 6 – Barry Hawkins v Wu Yize -> Match 14 – Winner plays Ronnie O’Sullivan on 30 July 13h30

28 July – 8 h

Match 7 – Zhang Anda v Yuan Sijun -> Match 15 – Winner plays Ding Junhui on 29 July 13h 30

Match 8 – Chris Wakelin v wildcard -> Match 16 – Winner plays Zhao Xintong on 30 July 13h 30

28 July 2025 – 13 h 30

Match 1 – Neil Robertson v Pang Junxu -> Match 9 – Winner plays Judd Trump on 29 July, 13 h 30

Match 2 – Shaun Murphy v wildcard -> Match 10 – Winner plays Mark Selby on 29 July, 8h

29 July 2025 – 3 h 30

Match 3 – Xiao Guodong v Lei Perfan -> Match 11 – Winner plays John Higgins on 30 July, 8 h

Match 4 – Mark Allen v wildcard -> Match 12 – Winner plays Mark Williams on 30 July, 8 h

Matches are best of 11 up to and including the QFs. SFs are best of 19 and the Final best of 21.

The event will be followed by and on snooker.org

Anthony Hamilton has retired from professional snooker. He was/is probably one of the most underrated professional players. He’s highly respected and appreciated by those who have played him in practice, notably by Ronnie, but most fans never warmed to him. He has neither the style, nor the looks associated with stardom. I always liked him.

Here is his interview with WST after he confirmed his retirement:

Hamilton Looks Back On Snooker Journey

Anthony Hamilton has called time on an epic professional journey, which extends back to 1991 when he first turned professional. He is now setting his sights on becoming one of the sport’s top coaches, but before he does that, we have asked him to reflect on his own time on the baize. 

The Sheriff of Pottingham fell off tour at the end of last season. Hamilton had hoped to spend one more year on tour and attended Q School with that in mind. However, it wasn’t to be and the 53-year-old has stepped out of the professional arena for the last time. 

Having spent his career being respected by his peers as one of the sport’s great competitors, he eventually stepped into the winner’s circle for the first time in 2017 when he defeated Ali Carter in the German Masters final. Since then, injuries and eyesight issues have prevented Hamilton from hitting the same heights, but he has shown his typical tenacity to retain professional status until now. 

We’ve caught up with Hamilton and asked him to name the top five moments of his career, which he has done in chronological order…

1988

“My first moment came when I was an amateur. I won a pro-am in Croydon for £1,000. It was the biggest pro-am that I’d won. My mum, dad and I had been travelling the country every single weekend for three or four years previously. Learning how to lose and all of that business. It was the first time that we won a big tournament. I remember being ecstatic and I’ve never been happier since. I remember on the drive home we all felt like we had won the lottery. All of the hard work had paid off. We all realised, at that moment, it was going in the right direction. An amazing feeling. I beat Ken Doherty in the semis and then a guy called Darren Clarke in the final. It was the first of many, but it was the first. We won it as a family and it is still my favourite memory.

“My mum was a secretary at schools and then charities after that and my dad was a hard-working guy on the building site. They literally, for six or seven years, took me to tournaments every weekend. It was 50 weekends a year. We would get up at 6am and travel old school, no Satnav and we were going to all sorts of different parts of the country. You’d then spend all day in the club from 10am to 2 or 3 in the morning. All the losses and all of the arguments, they were there for it all. What more can you ask from your parents than that? They were the best days and they will never be beaten. I was with my family.”

1992

“This was another first, it was the first time I played at a venue. I came through qualifying at the Norbreck Castle for a couple of years. That was madness. You’d be there for three months at a time, playing 90 matches on the spin. This was the first time I played at a final stage venue. It was the Hexagon in Reading for the Grand Prix. I beat Tony Jones 5-4, then I lost to Alan McManus in the last 32. It was this beautiful theatre. To be at the venue, it was the first time I felt part of the show. Straight away I recognised this and realised it was for me. What a buzz. Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry and Jimmy White were walking about the place and I was suddenly right in the thick of it. To be on TV for the first time was nerve wracking, but a thrill.

“All the matches you’ve watched on television over the years and then it is you being filmed. It is like watching a film and then suddenly being in one yourself. I was part of the show that I’d been watching for seven or eight years. You change from that point and feel more of a professional. You aren’t qualifying anymore, you are part of the show. All the first moments in your career are a buzz.”

1999

“This was my first ranking final. It was the British Open in Plymouth. I faced Fergal O’Brien and we played a brilliant final. It was a dead high standard. I think I played better than Fergal, but he won all of the tight frames, because he is a machine. I didn’t really know what you were supposed to do in a final. It was all new. I had no idea it was traditional to ask your girlfriend to come and all of that sort of stuff. I remember my girlfriend fell out with me, asking why I didn’t invite her over, but I just genuinely didn’t think of it!

“I had a tough draw all week. If I had seen that beforehand, I wouldn’t have turned up! It was Marco Fu, Mark Williams, Paul Hunter then Stephen Hendry. I started off the final with two century breaks, which must be rare in a first final. I loved it. Playing in finals is a different thing altogether. This time it wasn’t about being part of the show, you are the show. There was added pressure and it was interesting. All eyes are on you and it felt good. I played well in all of the finals I got to. I have good memories of finals, even though I lost two and won once. I lost this final, but it was against a good guy. It wasn’t like losing to somebody who had won 15 ranking events. Fergal was having the best day of his life and if I could have chosen to lose to anyone, it would have been him.”

2004

“This is a bit of a personal one, playing Steve Davis at the Crucible. It was the first round and Steve was on the way down in his career, but it was an honour to face my favourite player and favourite man on the tour, in the best venue. Win or lose, it would have been one of my favourite days as a professional. It wasn’t easy, he was much better than I thought he’d be. I remember being 9-4 up and thinking I have it won. He started playing great snooker and next thing I knew, it was 9-7. I was right under it. I was having a great day playing against my idol, but I didn’t want to lose. I saw the competitive animal inside of him first hand. I have nothing but respect for him. To see him come out to the Crucible with all of the people cheering him on was a buzz. I had to pinch myself, I couldn’t believe I was playing the Nugget at the Crucible. It was different class.

“When the draw came out, it was like I’d won all of the lotteries in one go. I’d already played Jimmy there in 97. The crowd noise for those guys is out of the park. You feel like the baddy in the room and rightly so, these guys are legends. Steve knew that arena better than I know my own lounge. To feel his presence at the table was special. I was really nervous because of who he was. It was like playing a God. Even though I won, I knew there was only one real player at that table and it wasn’t me. It was a surreal moment.”

2017

“The last one has to be winning the German Masters. Mainly because, I can go full circle, the first one was with my parents and so was the last one. There was 30 years between them and we were nearly as happy in Berlin as we were in Croydon. It was something that nobody expected, least of all myself. I couldn’t have asked for a better venue to win my one and only ranking tournament in. The Tempodrom is special. If you were watching a film with this plot, then you’d have said it was a bit far fetched. The way I played was a memory that I will take with me. I didn’t just win, I played nearly all of my game against Ali Carter. It was the first time I’d played like that for a good 15 years. Because of injuries I hadn’t felt like that for along time. I guess because I’d got to the final, I felt it was my one last chance and I found something. I played like I did in my late 20s and to do that when it really mattered was a feeling you can’t buy.

“I remember walking across the road afterwards, in the freezing cold with nowhere near enough clothes on, with this trophy in my hands. I took it straight up to my room, pressed the button for the lift and saw myself in the mirror with a trophy. It was a surreal moment of realisation. The next morning I knocked on my parents door and had a cup of tea and a chat. We were laughing at the madness of it all. That was the best moment. What a great week, I couldn’t ask for any more.

“You want to win with your nearest and dearest. It adds something to it. The reason my mum and dad were there was purely because of the venue. I thought they had to witness it. The arena is so special and a bit different. I don’t know how they found watching the final with 3,000 people. They could have been twitching, but I was pretty chilled out. I played five or six times at the Tempodrom. It is a buzzy sort of place, with great fans and Berlin is a brilliant city. It was always my favourite tournament other than the World Championship, even before I won it.”

What’s next?

“I’m already in talks with a few players about coaching them. I’m having this week off. After this week I will phone them, see how they want to work and when they want to work. I’ll get straight on it. There is no time to rest for the professionals. If they want help, they need it now.

“They are all people that I really like. I’m very excited. I think I will be more nervous as a coach than as a player. The last of my hair is going to fall out pretty quickly. I think if one of my players can win a tournament, it would be the same and I might even get more out of it. I know how important it is to these guys. If I can add a 5% boost to making that happen, I will get a huge amount out of it.”

David Hendon on substack reflected upon Anthony’s career and retirement

Time to say goodbye?

Why retirement is no easy decision for a snooker player.

David Hendon

Jun 05, 2025

“When the curtain falls, it’s time to get off the stage,” said prime minister John Major after his disastrous general election defeat in 1997.

Sport, like politics, can be brutal. On top and seemingly imperious one moment, yesterday’s news the next.

For most, though, the decline is a gradual process. Some hang on, certain they can reclaim former glories, others accept the dying of the light and retire gracefully.

Anthony Hamilton did just that this week. A professional since 1991, a former top 16 player and ranking event winner, he has been struggling with various health issues for the last few years, costing him fluency and making every match a battle.

Hamilton was relegated from the circuit after the World Championship. He entered Q School but lost in both events and has now decided to retire.

From the outside, it may look like an easy decision. He clearly isn’t the player he was in his pomp. He was putting himself through pain just playing. But it’s never as simple as that.

Playing snooker was not just his profession, it was a way of life since boyhood. It tethered him to a sense of himself. He could define himself as a snooker player. He had a routine: practising, going to tournaments, marking out the year by the event schedule.

Now that structure is gone. At 53, his life has changed and that will take some getting used to.

Hamilton is not one of those too-cool-for-school types who pretends snooker gets in the way, or that he doesn’t really like it. He loves it. They all do. Even when it becomes a grind, it’s embedded deep in the blood.

That’s why he plans to stick around as a coach, putting his energies and considerable wisdom into helping others, as Terry Griffiths did when he retired in 1997, as Fergal O’Brien is doing now two years after hanging up his cue.

It is rare for a successful player to completely walk away from the sport. Tony Meo, the 1989 British Open champion, did so when he left the circuit in the late 1990s, but the likes of Neal Foulds and Alan McManus went into broadcasting, where they have become popular and respected figures and remained involved with the sport.

Others, such as Stephen Hendry, have attempted to come back, but this never works out in any sport. Greats such as Hendry are playing against their own pasts as much as the other competitors. For the seven times world champion there was also a reality check: standards had increased.

He had obviously missed the cut and thrust of the professional game, the excitement of putting on the waistcoat, walking out in front of a crowd. But being unable to perform to anything close to his former level left him feeling dejected.

Retirement can seem like a dream scenario – freedom from responsibility, the opportunity to travel, to spend time with loved ones. For many people that dream becomes a reality, but for those involved in top level sport, it can feel like a come down. The thrill of competition is replaced by the humdrum.

It’s noticeable how so many sports people take up golf when their days at the top are done. Andy Murray seemed to do this almost immediately after retiring from tennis. Perhaps they need to stay in a competitive environment, to feel that they are giving their all to something where there is clearly defined winning or losing as an outcome. Hendry himself is a member at Sunningdale.

His old rival Jimmy White, now 63, is still slogging away, the recipient of another WST wildcard. In fairness to White, few players put more work in. If anything, it means too much to him at an age where he should just be enjoying it. He seems to get tense before and during matches. Deep down, it must hurt that he cannot regularly produce the brilliance of his heyday.

Psychologists may conclude that White, who famously did not become world champion, has unfinished business with the game. Maybe, but that possibly goes for every player. Hendry still smarts at failing to win an eighth world title in 2002. He stays in touch with the game now through his popular YouTube channel, Cue Tips.

Ronnie O’Sullivan has threatened retirement so often that those attempting to keep score have lost count. The first instance was at the 1994 UK Championship. He was 18. When, in 2012, he did take several months off, he missed it. He was at home watching. He even drove to the Masters in January 2013 to watch a semi-final. He came back a few weeks later to win a fifth world title.

The day will come for O’Sullivan, as it will for all players, to finally stop. Some do it on their own terms, others wait for the inevitable slide towards relegation. Mark Williams says he will play until he drops off tour – although he would be an obvious candidate for a wildcard.

From next year, the Class of ’92 can play in seniors events, which offers the opportunity for them to still be competitive long into the future.

Maybe nobody ever really retires. The first line of all of their obituaries is that they were snooker players, just as John Major will always be remembered as prime minister.

So Hamilton may leave the stage, but he will always be a much respected member of the cast.

David mentions that, from next year on the class of 92 will be able to play on the Seniors tour, and so will Antony if he wishes. I do hope to see him there. I do hope that his decision will turn into an “Au revoir!” rather than an “Adieu!” to snooker. The competitive animal within never dies. The thrill of the battle, and the pride in their abilities never goes.

Here is the announcement:

2025/26 World Snooker Tour Players

The current list of players for the 2025/26 World Snooker Tour season is below. Please note this is not the complete list as the winner of the All Africa Snooker Championship wll be added once that event is complete later in June. The season gets going this month with the Wuhan Open and British Open qualifiers. 

Top 64 on Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings 

1    Judd Trump
2    Kyren Wilson
3    Mark Williams
4    John Higgins
5    Ronnie O’Sullivan
6    Ding Junhui
7    Mark Selby
8    Neil Robertson
9    Barry Hawkins
10    Mark Allen
11    Zhao Xintong
12    Zhang Anda
13    Xiao Guodong
14    Shaun Murphy
15    Si Jiahui 
16    Chris Wakelin
17    Ali Carter
18    Gary Wilson
19    Tom Ford
20    Wu Yize
21    Jak Jones
22    Stuart Bingham
23    David Gilbert
24    Hossein Vafaei
25    Jack Lisowski
26    Pang Junxu
27    Stephen Maguire
28    Joe O’Connor
29    Elliot Slessor
30    Yuan Sijun
31    Lei Peifan
32    Zhou Yuelong
33    Noppon Saengkham
34    Matthew Selt
35    Jimmy Robertson
36    Jackson Page
37    Ryan Day
38    Lyu Haotian
39    Luca Brecel
40    Ricky Walden
41    Xu Si
42    Ben Woollaston
43    Martin O’Donnell
44    Daniel Wells
45    He Guoqiang
46    Thepchaiya Un-Nooh
47    Robbie Williams
48    Fan Zhengyi
49    Robert Milkins
50    Aaron Hill
51    Jamie Jones
52    Matthew Stevens
53    Jordan Brown
54    Mark Davis
55    Scott Donaldson
56    Liu Hongyu 
57    David Lilley
58    Long Zehuang
59    Anthony McGill
60    Sanderson Lam
61    Graeme Dott
62    Cao Yupeng
63    Ishpreet Singh Chadha
64    Stan Moody 

Two year tour card holders for 2024/25 and 2025/26

65    Zak Surety
66    Michael Holt 
67    Oliver Lines
68    Gong Chenzhi 
69    Duane Jones 
70    Sunny Akani 
71    Antoni Kowalski
72    Ben Mertens
73    Wang Yuchen 
74    Allan Taylor 
75    Amir Sarkhosh 
76    Liam Davies 
77    Julien Leclercq 
78    Artemijs Zizins 
79    Bulcsu Revesz
80    Ka Wai Cheung 
81    Haydon Pinhey 
82    Haris Tahir 
83    Chris Totten 
84    Robbie McGuigan 
85    Farakh Ajaib 
86    Mitchell Mann 
87    Huang Jiahao 
88    Bai Yulu 
89    Ken Doherty
90    Mink Nutcharut 
91    Kreishh Gurbaxani 
92    Jonas Luz 
93    Kok Leong Lim 
94    Mohamed Shehab 
95    Hatem Yassen 

Top four on 2024/25 Johnstone’s Paint One-Year list

96    Louis Heathcote
97    Ross Muir 
98    Jiang Jun 
99    Liam Graham 

Q School

100    Liam Pullen
101    Oliver Brown 
102    Alexander Ursenbacher 
103    Mateusz Baranowski 
104    David Grace 
105    Ian Burns 
106    Fergal Quinn 
107    Connor Benzey 

Asia-Oceania Q School

108    Chatchapong Nasa 
109    Liu Wenwei 
110    Xu Yichen 
111    Zhao Hanyang 

WPBSA Q Tour

112    Dylan Emery 
113    Steven Hallworth
114    Liam Highfield 
115    Florian Nuessle

WSF Champion    
116    Gao Yang

WSF Under-18 Champion    
117    Leone Crowley

World Women’s Snooker Qualifiers
118    Ng On Yee 
119    Reanne Evans

EBSA European Champions    
120    Iulian Boiko
121    Michal Szubarczyk

Asia Pacific Champion     
122    Chang Bingyu 

Pan-American Champion    
123    Sahil Nayyar 

African Champion    
124    TBC

CBSA China Tour    
125    Yao Pengcheng 
126    Lan Yuhao 

Invitational Tour Card    
127    Marco Fu
128    Jimmy White

Medical Exemption
129    Sam Craigie

And here is the explanation about Sam Graigie’s exemption

Sam Craigie Tour Card

WST and WPBSA have awarded a new two-year tour card to Sam Craigie on medical grounds. 

Craigie was not able to compete at all during the 2024/25 season due to injury and dropped out of the world’s top 64. 

Having considered all of the facts, WST and WPBSA have offered Craigie a two-year card. He will start the 2025/26 season with zero ranking points, consistent with other players with a new two-year card. 

WST and WPBSA wish Sam all the best and look forward to seeing him back competing next season.

The draw for the 2025 Wuhan Open has been published:

2025 Wuhan Open Draw

Xiao Guodong will face Mink Nutcharut when he begins the defence of his Wuhan Open title in China in August. 

Last season, Xiao won his first ranking title when he beat Si Jiahui 10-7 in the final. This time the main event runs from August 24-30. Matches held over to the venue are:

Xiao Guodong v Mink Nutcharut

Ding Junhui v wild card

Judd Trump v Farakh Ajaib

Ronnie O’Sullivan v Allan Taylor

Mark Allen v wild card

Hossein Vafaei v wild card

Robbie Williams v wild card

Zhao Xintong v Iulian Boiko

Click here for the 2025 Wuhan Open Draw

Ronnie has entered the event and is due to play Allan Taylor in his first match (match 49). Matches 1, 16, 33, 49 53, 55, 61, 64 are heldover so, provided he commits to playing this season, his first match in this event will be played in China.

Update …

The information about the first round draw for the 2025 British Open is also available

Selby To Meet Grace In Cheltenham

Snooker’s all-time greats are heading for Cheltenham in September and the draw is out now. Tickets are on sale for just £18 and many sessions are close to selling out, so book fast now that the draw has been announced.

…

The main event runs from September 22 to 28, 2025, at the superb Centaur Arena at Cheltenham Racecourse. The British Open is a historic ranking event first staged in 1985. In all, 128 players will compete for the Clive Everton Trophy, and the event has a random draw which means the biggest stars can clash from the opening round.

Mark Selby beat John Higgins 10-5 in the final last year and will start his title defence against former UK Championship semi-finalist David Grace. In the pick of the first round ties, Mark Williams will take on Si Jiahui, a repeat of their 2024 Crucible clash which Si won 10-9. World number one Judd Trump will meet Aaron Hill, while world number two Kyren Wilson will be up against fellow top-16 player Chris Wakelin. 

All matches involving the top 16 seeds (plus two more as there are two matches where top 16 seeds have drawn each other) have been held over to Cheltenham and these ties will take place on the opening day on Monday September 22. They are:

Mark Selby v David Grace

Judd Trump v Aaron Hill

Mark Williams v Si Jiahui

Zhao Xintong v top-up player

Ronnie O’Sullivan v Sanderson Lam

Kyren Wilson v Chris Wakelin

John Higgins v Mark Davis

Shaun Murphy v Ross Muir

Neil Robertson v Tom Ford

Mark Allen v Jiang Jun

Barry Hawkins v Daniel Wells

Xiao Guodong v Haydon Pinhey

Zhang Anda v Duane Jones

Wu Yize v Pang Junxu

Ali Carter v top up player

Gary Wilson v Hossein Vafaei

The match schedule for Cheltenham will be announced soon. All other first round ties will take place at the qualifying event at the Mattioli Arena in Leicester from June 25-28 – for the match schedule click here. Notable fixtures include…

Stephen Maguire v Marco Fu

Luca Brecel v Alexander Ursenbacher

Jack Lisowski v Liam Highfield

Ryan Day v Stuart Bingham

Stan Moody v Zhou Yuelong

David Gilbert v Matthew Selt

Ronnie has entered it. He’s due to play Allan Taylor. Remember that in this event, a new draw is made in each round.