When does Ronnie O'Sullivan play at the World Snooker Championship?

Mark Mothershaw Updated: 17 Apr 25 08:43

Ronnie O'Sullivan's participation in the 2025 World Snooker Championship has still not yet been officially confirmed, but we take a look at when he is scheduled to grace the hallowed Crucible green baize.

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When does Ronnie O'Sullivan play?

Ronnie O'Sullivan is scheduled to get his 2025 World Snooker Championship underway on Tuesday 22nd April, 2025 against Crucible foe Ali Carter.

'The Rocket' is, of course, a joint-record seven-time Crucible champion - seeing off Carter in two of those finals - and is scheduled to begin the opening session of his best-of-19 frame showdown at 14:30 (BST), before reconvening 24 hours later, on Wednesday 23rd April, for the second session (14:30 BST).

If he does indeed participate, and come through his first round clash then he is scheduled to return to action in the last 16 on Saturday 26th April against Zhang Anda or Pang Junxu, with the opening session starting at 14:30 (BST).

The second session of the best-of-25 clash would then take place at the same time (14:30 BST) on Sunday 27th April, before 'The Rocket' and his opponent undertake a potential third session of play at 19:00 (BST) on Monday 28th April.

Who is Ronnie O'Sullivan playing at the World Snooker Championship?

Ronnie O'Sullivan's first round opponent has been confirmed as two-time World Championship runner-up, Ali Carter.

The Londoner is one of 16 seeded players in the draw, meaning he was drawn out against one of the 16 players to have come through qualifying at the English Institute of Sport, just three miles down the road from the Crucible.

O'Sullivan, who beat Carter in both the 2008 and 2012 finals, is in the bottom half of the draw, meaning he could face fellow seeds Zhang Anda in the second round, Mark Selby in the quarter-finals and world number one Judd Trump in the semi-finals.

That is however, dependent upon whether he does in fact take his spot at the event having undertaken a near four-month long sabbatical from the sport since crashing out of the Championship League in January.

Ronnie O'Sullivan's potential path to an eighth World Snooker Championship title

The carrot dangling in front of Ronnie O'Sullivan if he does need any persuasion to undertake his latest Crucible campaign this year is that of a record-breaking eighth Crucible crown.

The 49-year-old is locked on seven titles with old adversary Stephen Hendry at the top of the all-time World Snooker Championship winners list and has made no secret of the fact that he would love to make it eight before drawing the curtain on his spectacular career.

Take a look at his potential path to glory in Sheffield, based on the seeded players prevailing from each of their matches...