Ronnie O'Sullivan will not be defending his 2024 Masters title when the 2025 tournament kicks off this month at Alexandra Palace.
O'Sullivan beat Ali Carter in the 2024 final, but his defence of the other Triple Crown event, the UK Championship, ended abruptly in a first-round defeat to Barry Hawkins earlier in the season.
And after a frustrating tune-up for the tournament in the Championship League midweek, it was announced on Friday that 'The Rocket' will not compete at Ally Pally after all.
"Last year's champion O'Sullivan was due to face John Higgins in the opening match on Sunday afternoon, but has withdrawn on medical grounds," a statement read.
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Here's how things look in the wake of the news, what has changed and more details on the 2025 Masters.
Ronnie O'Sullivan's scheduled opponent
As world No. 1, O'Sullivan was initially the top seed for his Masters defence. In round one, he drew fellow all-time great and former world champion John Higgins (15th seed).
Their contest was pencilled in to kick off the tournament overall, as The Masters is played one match at a time on a one-table setup at Ally Pally.
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Who is replacing Ronnie O'Sullivan at the 2025 Masters?
Neil Robertson, former Masters and World Championship winner, will face Higgins to kick off the tournament on Sunday, January 12 at 1 p.m. GMT.
The World Snooker Tour confirmed that the Australian would replace O'Sullivan as he had been ranked 17th at the seeding cutoff following the UK Championship.
The contest will be played in one session to a finish to the best of 11 frames (first to win six frames advances).
All first-round, quarter-final and semi-final matches will be best-of-11 over one session, before the best-of-19-frames final on Sunday, January 19 takes place over an afternoon and evening session.
You can check out the entire bracket, schedule and latest results here.
