Defending champion Ronnie O'Sullivan has withdrawn from the Masters on medical grounds.

O'Sullivan, 49, was aiming to win a record-extending ninth title, and had been set to face John Higgins in a blockbuster opening to the tournament at Alexandra Palace on Sunday.

The Englishman's place in the invitational event for the 16 highest-ranked players in the world will be taken by Neil Robertson.

Like Higgins, the Australian is a two-time winner of the Masters and most recently triumphed in 2022 and was ranked 17th at the seeding cutoff in December.

O'Sullivan has won 41 ranking events and seven world titles during a storied career since turning professional in 1992 and claimed his first Masters crown in 1995 at the age of 19.

His success 12 months ago, aged 48, meant that he became both the oldest and youngest-ever winner of the second Triple Crown event of the season.

He also elected to miss the Masters in 2020. This week, he pulled out of the Championship League before his final group game on Thursday after becoming frustrated with his own performance in a 3-2 loss to Robert Milkins.

'The Rocket' played four matches on Wednesday, losing three of them and whacked his cue against the table after missing an easy pink against Milkins.

While he quickly apologised to the referee and his opponent, there were reports from Leicester, external that he later threw his cue into a bin before it was retrieved.

That was one of the golden moments of spoty last year for sure, from the Draper backers...!

Motorsport reckon Rb are fourth best.  Second and you'd still back max, but i favour lando

Looks like money buying. Spoty is so slow

Rory

No, odds on

He's not that popular, bbc got a real job on getting him
over the line.

Could win another major, and ryder Cup..

Freddie Flintoff isn't eligible, is he? Please say no.

Ronnie strugglin

Lando just doesn't have the balls for this sadly

Eliezer mayenda anyone?  I'll get me coat

Bbc article on draper makes it sound like a matter of time before a GS.  I think sinner will have too much for him this year but you never knarr

Is it done and dusted for Mcilroy?

what what do Lando, Draper & Littler have to achieve to get the gong?

BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2025 -- Winner

37 Runners            £100,114 Matched

			103.4%		92.5%
Rory McIlroy	1.68	1.69	1.7		1.72	1.73	1.76	£61,704
	£37	£21	£48		£65	£298	£4
Lando Norris	10	10.5	11		11.5	12	12.5	£5,731
	£9	£5	£1		£8	£26	£12
Luke Littler	9.2	9.4	12.5		13.5	15	17	£23,121
	£20	£22	£28		£14	£3	£2
Jack Draper	11	11.5	12		13	13.5	17	£3,146
	£11	£5	£3		£6	£8	£17
Ellie Kildunne	21	32	34		46	50	55	£1,408
	£10	£4	£2		£8	£7	£43
Leah Williamson	40	42	46		50	60	70	£271
	£11	£2	£5		£6	£8	£7
Aggie Beever-Jones	70	80	85		180	290	300	£24
	£2	£12	£5		£1	£2	£4
Zoe Aldcroft	50	65	70		200	980	990	£55
	£10	£4	£1		£8	£2	£1
Alessia Russo	42	50	65		85	95	100	£408
	£1	£2	£4		£4	£7	£8
Lauren Hemp	100	120	130		290	330	-	£4
	£3	£9	£3		£3	£1
Beth Mead	130	140	150		290	-	-	£10
	£3	£2	£7		£3
Emma Raducanu	100	110	130		170	180	190	£391
	£1	£2	£1		£1	£3	£3
Keely Hodgkinson	34	130	140		170	180	190	£529
	£10	£5	£2		£10	£8	£2
Harry Brook	110	140	150		380	470	480	£106
	£2	£2	£4		£2	£1	£1
Simon Yates	150	200	210		400	500	1000	£99
	£15	£20	£1		£6	£2	£1
Joe Root	100	110	160		470	640	670	£73
	£6	£6	£7		£2	£1	£2
Tom Aspinall	150	160	200		530	540	600	£76
	£10	£1	£2		£2	£2	£2
Lauren James	40	150	160		290	400	790	£119
	£2	£3	£6		£4	£1	£1
Chloe Kelly	2	150	200		700	-	-	£12
	£2	£4	£7		£2
Katarina Johnson Thompson	200	210	220		1000	-	-	£8
	£4	£3	£1		£1
Lucy Bronze	100	200	300		670	690	1000	£234
	£4	£3	£10		£2	£1	£5
Tommy Fleetwood	20	250	310		920	990	-	£57
	£2	£2	£3		£1	£1
Emily Scarratt	300	310	350		900	970	1000	£40
	£4	£2	£1		£3	£1	£2
Lewis Hamilton	110	360	370		990	-	-	£402
	£1	£2	£1		£2
Ben Stokes	350	380	400		890	-	-	£60
	£3	£2	£12		£2
Marlie Packer	250	260	400		970	1000	-	£31
	£2	£1	£4		£1	£1
Ronnie O'Sullivan	430	450	500		850	900	1000	£1,187
	£1	£2	£1		£1	£2	£1
Cameron Norrie	410	450	1000		-	-	-	£18
	£1	£5	£9
Tyson Fury	100	110	500		-	-	-	£248
	£1	£1	£2
Luke Humphries	310	410	510		-	-	-	£75
	£1	£1	£3
Cole Palmer	80	110	1000		-	-	-	£24
	£1	£2	£16
George Russell	220	230	1000		-	-	-	£63
	£1	£1	£8
Jude Bellingham	50	60	1000		-	-	-	£92
	£6	£4	£10
Judd Trump	300	320	1000		-	-	-	£20
	£2	£1	£14
Katie Boulter	440	600	1000		-	-	-	£62
	£1	£3	£1
Declan Rice	2	20	1000		-	-	-	£105
	£2	£1	£15
Bukayo Saka	55	85	1000		-	-	-	£100
	£6	£1	£17

yeh, to be fair he was a far worse bet this year than last year.

Rory 1.79 after poor us open,... And club throwing.

Good luck to the lionesses, let's have some plummys

There could be some of that, stu.  I'm sure some will think they've been rewarded enough.

Plus male punters like you and cider underestimating the general appeal of the Lionesses and thinking it's just a minority sport that no-one is really interested in ;)

I'd personally make whichever Lioness they pick, if we win the Euros again, favorite

Especially if the miserable koont, McIlroy, skulks off again, without talking to the press, if he doesn't do well in the Open

punters like you and cider underestimating the general appeal of the Lionesses and thinking it's just a minority sport that no-one is really interested in ;)

Should just point out I won by backing Earps in Spoty - I'm not that silly to miss winning bets on a sport, whatever I think of it personally.

But I do wonder if we've voted for women's footy players enough - but if they win euros, it will be hard to avoid as you suggest.

It is still a minority sport in terms of who plays it, but in the eyes of the public and media obviously far more than that.

Wimmin winning rugby world cup shirley bigger
than footy euros having not won last time v having won euros.

And it's in uk, so people will go to games
and therefore more invested in voting.

Probably...