Ronnie O’Sullivan Reacts to Kyren Wilson’s Shocking Loss at the Crucible
The 2025 World Snooker Championship has gotten off to a dramatic start, with reigning champion Kyren Wilson suffering a shocking first-round defeat at the hands of debutant Lei Peifan. The loss marks another victim of the infamous ‘Crucible curse’, which has seen no first-time champion successfully defend their crown.
Speaking on TNT Sports, Ronnie O’Sullivan, a seven-time World Champion, shared his thoughts on Wilson’s unexpected loss. According to O’Sullivan, Wilson did not play particularly badly, but his hectic schedule since winning the championship last year may have hampered his chances of retaining the title.
"I always text Kyren through the season, because we get on quite well," O’Sullivan said. "I just think he’s gone deep in a lot of tournaments, won a lot of tournaments, and although he’s played alright today, if you look at the last two winners of the World Championship, himself and Luca Brecel, they both came in very fresh. I think to win this World Championship, you need to come in doing well, [but] you need to, at some point around February, go right, it’s all about the World Championship."
O’Sullivan believes that Wilson’s busy schedule, which included winning the Xi’an Grand Prix, Northern Ireland Open, German Masters, and Players Championship, as well as appearing in other tournaments throughout the season, may have taken its toll on his game.
"He just think he played in too many tournaments he didn’t need to play in," O’Sullivan added. "I think it’s a very fine line, and when you come here you want to come here with a spring in your step. You want to play your way into form, rather than be really at your limit. It will go the other way. I think with Kyren, maybe [he should have] missed a few tournaments, because he didn’t necessarily need to play in them."
The ‘Rocket’ also drew from his own experience, having been away from competitive snooker since January due to medical reasons. He believes that if players are targeting success at the Crucible, then they need to give themselves room to grow into the tournament.
"If this is the one you want to win, I always think [you should] come in a bit undercooked, take a month off from playing," O’Sullivan said. "If you’ve been playing all season, it really won’t make a difference. If you can just take a week off here and there, coming into February ahead of the World Championship, you come in a little fresher. And to be in this tournament, you need to feel strong come the quarter-finals. For me, I think he’s played too much match snooker."
Wilson’s loss was a significant upset, with many pundits tipping him to make a deep run in the tournament. The defeat marks a disappointing end to a remarkable season for Wilson, who has had a number of impressive victories.
As reported by TNT Sports, Wilson was "gutted" by his loss, feeling that his season had been wasted. The news of his defeat has sent shockwaves through the snooker community, with many fans and pundits alike expressing their surprise at the outcome.
In related news, Lei Peifan’s victory over Wilson has set up a second-round clash with another top player, and TNT Sports will be providing extensive coverage of the tournament.
