Mark Allen says he is in a "bad place" and is considering retirement

Mark Allen has said he is in a "bad place at the minute" and is considering retiring from snooker. The 40-year-old lost in the first round of the Northern Ireland Open on Tuesday to his friend Jordan Brown, in his first event after five months away from the sport.

Allen has spent 21 years as a professional. He has won 12 ranking titles, the tournaments that count towards a player's place on the tour's main list, and he was world number one in 2024.

Speaking after the defeat, Allen revealed that he had spent 10 weeks in a mental health clinic. He said he left early so that he could prepare for the match against Brown, and that he plans to carry on with treatment. BBC Sport reported his comments, and the story was picked up across the sport's media.

On Wednesday, Allen posted a statement on X saying he is doing his best to "turn things round". talkSPORT shared his emotional statement with its followers, and the headline used by the Chelmsford City News site was "I'm not OK". BBC Sport Northern Ireland also posted a video of his remarks, under the title "An emotional Mark Allen considers retirement after NI Open exit".

The World Snooker Tour and the WPBSA, the body that represents the sport's professional players, said they are supporting Allen and want to help in any way they can.

Allen's career has had its high points. At the World Championship, the sport's biggest event, held at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre, he missed a black ball that would have won him his semi-final against Wu Yize. Wu went on to win the title. That miss came before Allen stepped away from the game.

Snooker is a quiet sport, and players often spend long spells alone at the table with their thoughts. Allen's words this week show how much of that pressure can stay hidden from the crowd.

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