Ronnie O’Sullivan will be one of the snooker stars who will be over the moon after the World Snooker Tour (WST) revealed that the World Grand Prix was leaving these shores.
The mega-event, which O’Sullivan holds the title of currently, will leave the United Kingdom for the first time next year.
It will take place in Hong Kong in 2025, a move that Rocket will be happy to hear after advocating for fewer events in Britain.
O’Sullivan has recently admitted he prefers playing snooker in Asia and Saudi Arabia, having also opened a new snooker academy in the Gulf state.
Ronnie O’Sullivan has been keen on more events to take place in Asia
PA
It comes after pulling out of the British Open last month due to medical problems, as well as crashing out of the English Open in the first round.
Next year will be the 10th year of the World Grand Prix’s inception and also the most lucrative in prize money as it prepares for its first overseas start.
O’Sullivan bagged £100,000 in prize money after beating Judd Trump in Leicester in January earlier this year, with a total prize pot of £380,000.
However, next year’s tournament will see the prospective winner take home £180,000 with the total outlay amounting to £700,000.
The first World Grand Prix took place in Llandudno in Wales in 2015, when it was a non-ranking event, which changed the following year.
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Since then, it has taken place in Preston, Cheltenham, Milton Keynes, Coventry and Leicester.
O’Sullivan has previously threatened to retire from snooker if events continue to dictate his calendar.
“If I can’t go and do what I need to do, which is play a lot in China, I won’t ever play again,” O’Sullivan told the BBC. “So, we’re at a kind of crossroads now.
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Ronnie O’Sullivan is a big fan of events in Asia and Saudi Arabia
PA
“If that gets to the point where I’m not able to do that, I’m not allowed to do that, I probably won’t play.
“I’ll probably go and play Chinese 8-Ball because I still want to play snooker, I still want a cue in my hand.
“There’s just not enough here in the UK for me to justify the effort that I put in.
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Ronnie O’Sullivan has previously threatened to retire
PA
“If someone’s going to respect me and value me more, why would I not go there? It’s like being in an unhealthy relationship with someone, why would you be in that?
“I’d love to be able to just keep playing snooker for the next five, six, seven, eight years, but if I’m going to be forced into a situation where that’s not possible, then I’m not going to just accept whatever 132 players do, which is to go and play tournament after tournament, week in, week out.”