Belgian snooker star Luca Brecel has revealed why he missed the Saudi Arabia Masters and the Wuhan Open.
The Belgian Bullet has suffered a difficult start to the season, having also been eliminated from the quarter-finals of the English Open earlier this month.
Brecel reached the summit of the game when he beat Mark Selby 18-15 in the final of the 2023 World Snooker Championship but has endured a tumultuous time since and was forced to withdraw from last month's Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters on health grounds.
The 30-year-old insists that his slump in form is linked to a physical issue rather than mental health problems.
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However, doctors can’t seem to pinpoint the problem.
“Some people have come up to me and said ‘oh, is it mental health?’ and they have tried to help,” he said during an exclusive interview with The Sun.
“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.
“All of a sudden, it happened, and no one knows what it is. Still trying to figure it out, I’ve still got scans to do. It’s my body doing strange things.
“Obviously, because 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.
“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.
“I’ve not been able to do exercises, obviously, with all the problems. 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.”
Brecel’s start to the season has seen him drop down to 38th place in the world rankings.
If he drops out of the top 64 in world rankings, he will need to attend Q School to compete on the main tour.
The Belgian says that he would actually enjoy the opportunity to play Q School one day.
“I really couldn’t care less," he added.
"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.
“I guess if I was really worried, I wouldn’t skip tournaments, would I?”
“I’m not playing in the British Open. But I will be back for the qualifiers for the International Championships in China at the end of September.”
Topics: Snooker
Jonathan Bray