Ronnie O'Sullivan's 'split' from EastEnders star amid medical issues as he goes 'missing'

Ronnie O'Sullivan has pulled out of the British Open due to "medical reasons", with the snooker icon reportedly in the midst of a split from long-term girlfriend Laila Rouass

Ronnie O'Sullivan, the snooker legend, has been noticeably absent from this week's British Open, having withdrawn due to "medical reasons". This news comes amongst speculation of a break up with his actress girlfriend Laila Rouass.

Initially scheduled to compete against Thailand's world No. 116 Manasawin Phetmalaikul in Cheltenham on Monday, his no-show meant amateur player Lewis Ullah stepped in as a last-minute replacement, disappointing eager fans.

The 48 year old has been quite busy, previously appearing at the Xi'an Grand Prix, the Saudi Arabia Masters, and the English Open, but is now resting ahead of the anticipated Wuhan Open in China on October 6. This break occurs amidst what appears to be a troubled time personally for O'Sullivan, following reports last week about his and Rouass' relationship troubles.

Having had an on-and-off romance over 10 years, obstacles have reportedly mounted, partly due to O'Sullivan's demanding snooker circuit travels. In spite of such rumours, O'Sullivan was seen with Rouass near their Essex home this past Saturday morning, suggesting a potential patch-up between the pair.

Rouass gained fame for her roles as Amber Gates in Footballers' Wives and Sahira Shah in Holby City, and made headlines in July when announced as the newest addition to EastEnders, making her first appearance on the show in August, reports Wales Online.

Renowned for his open discussions on mental health, snooker star Ronnie O'Sullivan has indicated a preference for international competitions, perceiving overseas audiences to be friendlier than those in his home nation, as reported by the Mirror. "Some of the tournaments in the UK don't feel special," he said towards the end of last year.

"For me, I want to play in the best tournaments with the best crowds. I feel like I get more support and people like me better here in Asia than they do in my own country."

Since the last season's onset, O’Sullivan has pulled out of eight UK-based events and only took part once in the British Open after it was reintroduced in 2021. Following a disheartening 4-2 defeat to He Guoqiang in the English Open's opening round, O'Sullivan hinted at retirement.

"I'm awful, it's embarrassing," he admitted after the match. "I miss so many balls. I can't get away from it, poor, but there's nothing I can do about it. I've been missing balls for the last four or five years and every now and then I'll miss a few less, maybe, and get a couple of results."

"I'm absolutely useless. Forget about the Worlds. I'm not even bothered to be honest with you, if I'm going to play rubbish I might as well play left-handed. Play left-handed and enjoy it, but be useless, or play right-handed, be useless and not enjoy it."

"I haven't got long, I'm not going to deny it, I'm not playing well enough, there's no point in even worrying about it. I've just accepted it now which is quite a nice place to be really."