The seedings for the World Snooker Championship are now clear, though Ronnie O’Sullivan can still disrupt the list if he decides to extend his hiatus further. The world No. 4 is currently expected to enter the tournament but there remains a chance he pulls out after a lengthy stint away from the table.

Xiao Gudong’s victory over Wu Yize in the first round of the 2025 Tour Championship on Tuesday afternoon means that the world’s 16 are now set and no other player can break in before the World Championship gets underway.

The top 16 will all go straight into the 32-man main draw at The Crucible, whereas the other 128 entrants will battle it out in qualifying rounds beforehand for the 16 unseeded spots. Following his victory at last year’s competition, Kyren Wilson is set to be No. 1 seed for the competition, with Judd Trump the number two seed.

Shaun Murphy will be No.15 for the competition, with Jak Jones the key beneficiary from Wu’s defeat in Manchester as the result ensures that he will be seed No.16 and not have to battle it out through qualifiers for the first time in his career.

The exact seed numbers of the other 12 seeded players are unclear at this stage, though they will be confirmed later this week. Mark Selby, O’Sullivan, Mark Williams, John Higgins, Luca Brecel, Mark Allen, Neil Robertson, Ding Junhui, Barry Hawkins, Zhang Anda, Si Jiahui and Guodong will all eagerly be awaiting the announcement.

However, although the top 16 is set in stone, it is not guaranteed at this stage and the uncertainty surrounding O’Sullivan threatens to disrupt the seedings.

The world No. 4 has not played competitively since his defeat in the Championship League to Robert Milkins in January, where he furiously forfeited the group game and smashed his cue. O’Sullivan has pulled out of several competitions since the crushing loss, and doubts have been raised about whether he will feature at the World Championships.

If he does not then the timing of his withdrawal will have a major impact on proceedings. If O’Sullivan pulls out before the third qualifying round gets underway, world No. 17 Gary Wilson will receive an automatic spot at the Crucible.

However, if O’Sullivan pulls out after then his first-round opponent would get a bye into the next round.