Luca Brecel has revealed that a baffling mystery illness has left him exhausted and disrupted his season, forcing the former world champion to miss several key tournaments.
The Belgian, who stunned Mark Selby to win the World Championship in 2023, has barely been seen on the tour since that Crucible triumph.
He returned to competitive action at last week’s English Open, reaching the quarter-finals before losing to Zhou Yuelong – but admitted he is still not close to full health.
“Some people have come up to me and said ‘oh, is it mental health?’ and they have tried to help,” Brecel told The Sun.
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“It’s not my head. I’m perfectly happy. I’m fine. It’s not mental.
“It’s physical things in my body. Strange. I’ve been to the doctor many, many times. Maybe 18 times in three to four months.
"There must be something wrong. But they cannot find anything.
"I have to deal with it. At least I can play again. I’m happy to be at the table.”
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Luca Brecel has insisted he's fine mentally but struggling with an illness that has left him fatigued
|PA
The 30-year-old explained that his symptoms appeared suddenly and remain undiagnosed despite repeated medical tests.
“All of a sudden it happened and no-one knows what it is. I’ve still got scans to do. It’s my body doing strange things,” he said.
Brecel withdrew from Saudi Arabia Masters qualifying in August due to health issues, skipped the Wuhan Open entirely, and even had to borrow a cue for the Xi’an Grand Prix qualifiers before abandoning the match mid-way.
The fatigue has also curtailed Brecel’s passion for endurance sports.
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A keen runner and cyclist, he had been working towards an ironman triathlon but has had to suspend training.
“I’ve not been able to do exercises obviously with all the problems,” he said.
“I was really at quite a good point, doing long-distance running and cycling. So, it’s a bit of a pity that that happened.
“But obviously this is life. It’s going to be ups and downs.”
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Luca Brecel has been unable to do exercise amid his mystery illness
|PA
Despite the setbacks, Brecel is determined to keep playing.
“I wanted to feel good first, and then compete in tournaments, so I’ve been waiting to feel better. And it didn’t quite happen,” he added.
“So I thought, well, I’m just going to play now. Whatever happens, I’m just going to play, whatever I feel.
"I feel okay in the game. It’s not every moment of the game, but it’s good enough.”
The Belgian star knows his inactivity could hurt his world ranking – his Crucible prize money has now come off the list – but remains characteristically relaxed about the possibility of dropping out of the top 64 and having to re-qualify through Q School in 2026.
“I really couldn’t care less,” Brecel laughed.
Luca Brecel is maintaining a positive outlook on life despite his mystery illness
| PA“I’d love to play Q School one day. So maybe? I don’t think it’s going to happen because I’m too good. But yeah, it is what it is.”
Brecel has confirmed he will skip the British Open but plans to return for the International Championship qualifiers in China at the end of September.