Ronnie O'Sullivan sets 2028 deadline to beat Stephen Hendry record of seven World Snooker Championship titles

Ronnie O'Sullivan has set himself a deadline of winning a record-breaking eighth World Snooker Championship by 2028 and revealed he will retire from the sport if required to play qualifying matches.

O'Sullivan, widely regarded as the greatest snooker player ever, is currently level with Stephen Hendry on seven world titles but has not won at the Crucible in Sheffield since 2022.

The 50-year-old narrowly lost to John Higgins at this year's World Championship in April in the second round but has still shown signs of his brilliant best.

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"I'd love to win another World Championship. I've got two attempts at it," O'Sullivan told World Snooker Tour after he won his opening match of the season at the Shanghai Masters on Monday.

"Three years previous, I wasn't cueing well enough, so I feel like if I can find a bit of cueing find some form at Sheffield… if I don't do it this this season or the next season, then it'll definitely never happen.

"But I'm pleased with my career. I'm happy with how things have gone, and I just want to try and enjoy these next two years.

"I'll reassess it in 2028 and if things are really going well, and I've surprised myself, then maybe you can extend it but you have to be realistic. I'm definitely not going to be playing qualifiers put it that way."

The 50-year-old has played less tournaments in recent years and made few appearances at tournaments in the UK outside of snooker's two ranked majors - the UK Championship in York and the World Championship in Sheffield.

As a result, he's dropped to 12th in the rankings and could find himself outside of the top 16 - meaning he would need to qualify for tournaments, including the World Championship - something he is not prepared to do.

"I'm not going to play qualifiers. You won't be seeing me go down to Barnsley trying to win qualifying matches and all that sort of stuff," he said.

"I have to be realistic. If that happens, then obviously that's the end of my career. But hopefully, I can keep going for at least another two seasons."

O'Sullivan: It's hard for me to get going

O'Sullivan's last title on the tour was in January 2024 - the World Grand Prix - the same season he won the UK Championship and The Masters.

He has been winless in the last two seasons, but did reach the final of the World Open in China in March this year, making a record break of a 153 in the tournament.

Earlier last season, O'Sullivan became the first player to make two maximum breaks on the same day, so he can still hit incredible heights but admits it is harder to do regularly.

"I have to be realistic. I'm 50 now. I play for two hours and I need to lay down for two or three hours, and it's very hard for me to get going again," he said.

"This game, alright you don't have to run around a football pitch, but mentally you have to concentrate and it's draining.

"When you're younger, you can just keep concentrating for hour upon hour, and not get tired, and have a break for an hour and go again.

"Now, I need to have a lay down. You see your grandparents, you see them sleeping in their chair, and you just get a little bit more tired as you get a bit older. So I have to be realistic about what is possible."