Snooker rival claims Ronnie O'Sullivan "must be getting paid" nicely for surprise seniors debut at Crucible

O’Sullivan began his 2026 World Snooker Championship on Tuesday afternoon at the Crucible where he built a commanding 7-2 lead over Chinese debutant He Guoqiang.

Having made his debut on snooker’s grandest stage during his rookie professional season in 1993, O’Sullivan has featured in the world championship main draw every year since, with his latest outing representing a record-extending 34th Crucible cap.

But next month, the sport’s greatest player of all-time will make a Crucible excursion of a different kind, as he performs his maiden bow in the World Seniors Snooker Championship which takes place there between May 6-10.

This year’s seniors’ flagship event is shaping up to be the best edition ever, with an expanded field and an impressive star cast following the recent relaxation of eligibility rules meaning that top 16 exponents such as O’Sullivan and Mark Williams are allowed to play in it.

Fellow former world professional champions Stuart Bingham and Ken Doherty are also in the draw, as are Crucible finalists Jimmy White, Matthew Stevens, and Ali Carter. The ever-popular White is the record four-time winner of the world seniors title.

O’Sullivan will face either Doherty or Gerard Greene in the last 16 of the tournament.

Hawkins believes O’Sullivan is playing for “a bit of fun”

Englishman O’Sullivan currently resides in Dubai, although more recently he has been based in Ireland in preparation for the Crucible.

It’s not unusual for O’Sullivan’s playing schedule to be lighter than his peers, but ‘The Rocket’ has played competitively in the UK only once this season, and that was only a flying visit when he lost in the opening round to qualifier Zhou Yuelong at the 2025 UK Championship in York.

All of O’Sullivan’s engagements on the top flight this term have come in either the Far East or the Middle East - likely to do with how many days he is allowed to spend in the UK because of his Dubai living arrangements at present.

That makes his seniors entry even more perplexing to recent Welsh Open champion Hawkins, who feels that 50-year-old O’Sullivan must be getting paid handsomely for his seniors tour appearance.

Speaking exclusively to 247Bet, world number 11 Hawkins said: “It’s unusual that Ronnie’s playing in the Seniors, but I reckon he must be getting paid quite a lot of money to be there. He’s obviously been invited there to promote it, so I’m sure he’ll be getting a nice appearance fee.

“I was a bit surprised to see him get involved, because he’s got such a big build-up for the World Championship, and he’ll have been putting himself through the wringer with the practice for that, and it’s another thing he’ll have to dedicate his time to.

Hawkins - who will face Williams in the last 16 of the world professional championship later this week - also thinks that 23-time major event winner O’Sullivan can have a bit of fun in the seniors.

Whilst he feels that O’Sullivan will be the favourite for the title, because of the conditions and format, the contestants will be more evenly matched than on the World Snooker Tour professional circuit.

“Although at the Seniors, he will just be under less pressure. It will just be a bit of fun for him, so maybe that’s the reason why he’s having it. He can just enjoy himself after the gruelling possible 17 days at the Crucible, at the proper World Championship” said ‘The Hawk’.

“You’d have to put Ronnie as the favourite, especially in the sort of form he showed at the World Open. Although, there are plenty of great players who are going to be in it. Mark Williams, Ali Carter, Stuart Bingham, and Matthew Stevens, to name just a few. The table at the Seniors looks like it’s got bigger pockets too, which may be a bit more of a leveller for the other players.”

It looks set to be a very busy few weeks for O’Sullivan on the green baize in the UK; after both Crucible outings he is scheduled to be playing in the inaugural Global Pluto TV Snooker 900 Championship in Reading.

18+ Be Gamble Aware