Luca Brecel yet to feature this snooker season following Saudi Arabia Masters withdrawal

An official statement was published on the WST website on Saturday about Brecel's withdrawal.

It means that Sanderson Lam - who defeated Connor Benzey 4-0 in round two - goes straight through to the fourth round where he will face either Joe O'Connor or Wang Yuchen. The winner of that tie will meet seven-time World Champion Ronnie O'Sullivan in the last 32 on Tuesday.

Due to the nature of the tiered draw system being used for this tournament, players can't be replaced from round two onwards.

Brecel's withdrawal means that he is still yet to play a match this new 2025/26 professional snooker season.

The 2023 World Champion entered the Wuhan Open qualifiers held in Leicester in June, but did not show up for his match with Haris Tahir, therefore handing his opponent a walkover and a place at the main venue stages in China in a few weeks’ time.

The 30-year-old Belgian then withdrew from his British Open qualifying match with Alexander Ursenbacher, and the Championship League.

A few days ago on Instagram, Brecel was seen playing snooker in a post, so it would suggest he was planning to make the trip to the Middle East for the £2.3 million world ranking event held at the Green Halls.

It is not the first time this year Brecel has withdrawn from a big competition in Asia. Back in the spring, he pulled out of the World Open in Yushan - also due to medical reasons. For that event, he had already won a qualifying match in England a few months before.

'The Belgian Bullet' is currently ranked 39th in the world, meaning he faces qualifying matches, potentially tougher draws, and not being invited to some very lucrative events.

Following his memorable and historic world title triumph at the Crucible Theatre over two years ago - the first player from mainland Europe to win snooker's blue riband event - Brecel has reached just one ranking event semi-final.

Twelve months ago at the inaugural Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters in Riyadh, Brecel was one of the top 16 seeds and didn't enter the fray until the last 32. It was also possible for Brecel to finish the tournament as the world number one.

However, due to the nature of the prize money based rolling two-year ranking system that the professional tour uses, Brecel lost a net total of £450,000 from his cumulative points tally after his 2025 World Championship campaign. That's despite him showing flashes of his brilliance and making the quarter-finals where he was stopped by world number one Judd Trump.

That big points loss saw Brecel not only drop outside the top 16, but the top 32 as well.

Being outside of the world's elite also means that Brecel missed out on receiving an invite for the recent Shanghai Masters; an event he made the final of in 2023.

The four-time ranking event champion has been very active - and seemingly happy - on Instagram over the summer months, spending time with his new girlfriend back home in Belgium, but when we will next see the former world champion on the baize is a mystery.

Brecel could be back in action at the start of September for the Xi'an Grand Prix, and Northern Ireland Open qualifiers in Leicester.

Please visit our 2025 Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters tournament information centre here for the draw, results and other details on the event.