Ronnie O'Sullivan says he made the “nightmare” decision to withdraw from the Masters on medical grounds after he “lost the plot” last Thursday.
The defending champion was planning to chase a record-boosting ninth title and was scheduled to face John Higgins on Sunday in a grand opening of the tournament at Alexandra Palace.
However, the 49-year-old opted not to play in the Top 16 invitational event after a combination of fatigue and pressure spilled over during a 3-2 Championship League defeat to Robert Milkens at Leicester.
'The Rocket', visibly frustrated, broke the sign, threw it in the trash and withdrew from his final group match later that day.
It was announced on Friday that he will also miss the Masters and will be replaced in the lineup by Neil Robertson.
“It was a nightmare decision, really,” O'Sullivan told Eurosport.
He added, “If you had asked me on Sunday if I was ready to play, I might have been fine. It is a huge tournament.”
O'Sullivan, along with several fellow elite players, has appeared in lucrative exhibition events in the Far East in recent weeks.
This came after his appearance at the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship in Saudi Arabia in late December.
“Obviously I've been on this three-week trip, playing away from home, and I think I've exhausted myself,” O'Sullivan said.
“[There was] There was a lot of pressure while I was away, and the accumulation of all that kind of play became too much. I lost the plot on Thursday and cut the signal so it couldn't be played, so I knew at that moment it was the right decision not to play.
“It's a big tournament, and I felt that anyone attending should have at least two days' notice.”
O'Sullivan has won 41 ranking events and seven world titles during his career since turning professional in 1992 and captured his first Masters title in 1995 at the age of 19.
His success 12 months ago at the age of 48 means he holds the records of being both the oldest and youngest ever winner of a Triple Crown event.
He also decided to miss the Masters tournament in 2020.
O'Sullivan, who maintained he is now “fine”, will need to get used to a different signal as he prepares to return to the sport, having been devastated last time out.
“It was in the bin, one of the wheelie bins, but my friend said we couldn't leave it here, so he took it out and brought it with us,” O'Sullivan said.
“I have some other signs I can start practicing since there are some tournaments coming up. I'll keep playing so I need to get used to the sign now.”
