Ronnie O'Sullivan has pulled out of The Masters just 48 hours before the tournament is set to begin.
The eight-time Masters champion, 50, was due to face Australian Neil Robertson on Wednesday evening for the final match of round one.
But his slot in the draw will now be taken by Scottish Open winner Chris Wakelin who had been sitting in reserve.
According to multiple reports, the Rocket had been ill recently and was feeling "physically drained".
The 50-year-old great is said not to have taken the decision lightly.
He is gutted he is missing one of his favourite events, but wanted to be fair to paying fans and let them know as soon as he could, The Sun reports.
The unexpected exit means he has only played one game in Britain - last November - since he lost the Crucible semi-finals in May 2025.
In a statement on Friday evening, World Snooker said: "Ronnie O'Sullivan has withdrawn from the Johnstone's Paint Masters for medical reasons.
PICTURED: Ronnie O'Sullivan in the first round match against China's Zhou Yuelong on day 4 of the 2025 UK Championship
|GETTY
"O'Sullivan was due to face Neil Robertson in the opening round on Wednesday January 14 at 7pm.
"He has been replaced in the draw by Chris Wakelin who was 17th seed at the cut-off point."
He pulled out of the prestigious tournament last January because he was in a "bad place" - and had snapped his cue in half at the Championship League in Leicester days earlier.
O'Sullivan has spoken candidly about his mental health struggles in recent years.
LATEST SNOOKER HEADLINES FROM GB NEWS:
Ronnie O'Sullivan has spoken candidly about his mental health struggles in recent years
| PALast summer, he candidly opened up on his confidence issues - going as far as to reveal his "biggest mistake" in an interview with the Mail.
The world number eight had also told TalkSPORT in September: "I probably won't play the Masters this year."
But just months later, he told The Sun he would play "if I can".
He explained his move to Dubai last summer meant he would have to pick and choose which tournaments to prioritise.
The world number eight had told TalkSPORT in September: 'I probably won't play the Masters this year' - before telling The Sun the opposite months later
| PAO’Sullivan has lifted the Paul Hunter Trophy a record eight times.
In total, he has come out on top in the Masters in 1995, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2024.
His nearest record-book challenger is six-time champion Stephen Hendry.