Ronnie O'Sullivan, a seven-time world champion, plans to relocate from the UK to the Middle East. This announcement follows his 17-7 defeat by Zhao Xintong in the World Championship semi-finals in Sheffield. The loss occurred in O'Sullivan's first tournament since an incident at the Championship League in January, where he snapped his cue out of frustration.

Despite victories over Ali Carter, Pang Junxu, and Si Jiahui, which initially raised hopes for a record eighth Crucible crown, O'Sullivan was decisively beaten by Zhao. O'Sullivan, who resides in Essex and operates a snooker academy in Saudi Arabia, stated, "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."

He remains uncertain about his future in snooker. "I will still try to play snooker but I don't know what the future looks like for me really. 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."

O'Sullivan, widely considered the greatest player in snooker history, holds numerous records, including 41 ranking events, surpassing Stephen Hendry by five. He has openly discussed his struggles in recent years and has taken medication for anxiety.

His three-month absence from the sport earlier in the season sparked speculation about his future, particularly as he approaches his 50th birthday in December. At the Crucible, O'Sullivan battled to regain form and find a suitable cue. "I don't even know if it was the cue, the ferrule or me. There were three things," he explained. "I didn't know where the white ball was going. I was at a loss. I won't throw the cue. The merchandise people want it so it will be up for sale."

He expressed frustration with his performance, stating, "I've been playing like that quite a lot in practice and it's just hard to get my head around. I can't even fix it, that's the problem. I know I said I'd like to try and give it two years, but if you're going to play like that it's pretty pointless. It's not good."