Ronnie O’Sullivan’s Quest to Reclaim World No. 1 Ranking at World Snooker Championship

Ronnie O’Sullivan will have to claw back £326,000 at the World Snooker Championship to catch Mark Allen and end the season as the world No 1. Snooker rankings are based on prize winnings from the previous two years with O’Sullivan currently out in front, largely due to his win at the 2022 World Championship.

However, the £500,000 prize he picked up for winning his seventh world title will be taken off after this year’s event. That puts O’Sullivan on just £609,000 prize money won for the two years after his last world title and provisionally fifth for the end-of-season list.

Mark Allen is the biggest benefactor from the results of the 2022 World Championship coming off as he loses just £30,000 and currently sits on top. Judd Trump is second as he will have his runner-up prize of £200,000 taken off with Luca Brecel and Mark Selby ranked above O’Sullivan.

For O’Sullivan to end the season on top of the rankings, he’ll have to win the event and rely on neither Trump or Allen making it through to the final. It looked likely to be a sixth title of the season for O’Sullivan at the Tour Championship over the weekend, but he was resoundingly beaten by three-time world champion Williams.

O’Sullivan was full of praise for the Welshman after the final and tipped him as a strong contender for the 2024 World Championships. “I think Mark has been the most consistent player for the last five years,” O’Sullivan said.

Mark Williams is also a long shot to end the year as world No 1. O’Sullivan added: “If he was to dedicate his whole life to it, he would probably be number one in the world,” he said. “But he doesn’t – he likes to play golf and chill out, enjoy his life.”