Ronnie O’Sullivan has cast his participation in the 2026 Masters into speculation following his UK Championship loss. The ‘Rocket’ crashed out at York Barbican on Tuesday afternoon, suffering a 6-4 loss to Chinese sensation, Zhou Yuelong.

It marked O’Sullivan’s first loss to the 27-year-old in eight matches overall, and speaking in the aftermath of the loss, the eight-time event winner explained he was disappointed with the result. He said: “It feels all right to lose. It feels good in some ways and not so good in other ways.

“As you get older, you probably worry a bit less about the stuff you used to worry about. Now, you just try and enjoy your life. I’m still disappointed if I lose. If I play well and lose, I get even more disappointed, but if I don’t feel well and lose, I just accept it wasn’t my day.

“I’m just here to play snooker and try my best and try to enjoy life. I missed quite a lot of balls. I didn’t deserve to win. I don’t think the tables are nippy but if you don’t hit them right, they won’t go in. That was a bit of a ropey performance, I’m not going to shy away from that.”

Elsewhere, O’Sullivan was asked whether snooker fans will see him at January’s Masters, with the all-time great refusing to commit to the prestigious non-ranking event. Speaking to SportsBoom, when pressed on an appearance at the tournament, O’Sullivan said: “I don’t know. I haven’t really made any decision yet. Hopefully. I’d like too, but we’ll see.”

When pressed about a deadline for his decision, he added: “No, we’ll just have to wait and see,” as he continued to hold his cards close to his chest. It comes as the 49-year-old, who will celebrate his 50th birthday on Friday, has pulled out of a number of events this year.

He took a lengthy break from the game after smashing a cue in frustration during a Championship League match in January, withdrawing from the 2025 Masters before returning for the World Championship. During that event, he reached the semi-finals, where he was knocked out by the ultimate tournament winner, Zhao Xintong.

In the months since, he has competed in five events in China and two in Saudi Arabia, as well as the UK Championship. It comes after O’Sullivan spoke about his participation in the Masters ahead of the UK Championship, after moving to Dubai.

He told SportsBoom: “I’ll try and come back if I can. There’s the flying involved, the expenses involved. It’s not a short flight. Maybe next season I might play a few more [in the UK]. But this year I just want to settle in Dubai and play as many tournaments in China and Saudi Arabia as I can.”

He added: “I’d love to play the UK Championship and the Tour Championship if I can. Probably just be two tournaments this year in the UK before the World Championship. It’s hard with all the travel and all that. I’m not getting any younger, so I have to prioritise.

“The jet lag was killing me, really, so it made sense to move nearer. My trips there are a lot easier now so I’m happier. There’s no need to come back to the UK, really.

“The dogs love it. I was worried they wouldn’t like the sun, but they go out there and chill in the sun. It’s fine for them, everything’s air-conditioned so they’re comfortable.”