Chris Wakelin’s Masters Dream Hangs by a Thread: Can He Capitalize on O’Sullivan’s Last-Minute Withdrawal?
Chris Wakelin’s path to making a second straight appearance at the prestigious Masters snooker tournament in 2026 looks uncertain, despite his impressive win at the 2025 Scottish Open. The victory not only secured him a £100,000 prize but also saw him climb to 14th in the world rankings. However, despite this rise, Wakelin’s performance still wasn’t enough to secure an automatic spot in the Masters, which is set to take place in January 2026 at Alexandra Palace in London.
Wakelin, who made his Masters debut in 2025, was knocked out in the first round by Luca Brecel with a 6-3 defeat. This year, although he improved his ranking, he finished just outside the top 16—only 35,100 points behind Gary Wilson, who clinched the 16th and final spot in the Masters draw. The top 16 players after the UK Championship, held in York, are guaranteed places in the prestigious invitational event, but Wakelin’s rise up the rankings came too late to earn him a direct invitation.
As a result, Wakelin will need a bit of luck to make it into the tournament this year. He is currently listed as first reserve, meaning that if any of the top 16 players withdraw, he will be called up to take their place. This scenario could unfold if record eight-time Masters champion Ronnie O’Sullivan decides not to compete, as he has done in the past. O’Sullivan famously missed the event in both 2013 and 2020, opening the door for other players to step in. In 2020, for example, Ali Carter reached the final as a last-minute replacement, ultimately losing to Stuart Bingham in a thrilling 10-8 match.
O’Sullivan has yet to confirm whether he will play in 2026, adding an element of uncertainty to the draw. Given his history of last-minute withdrawals, it’s possible that Wakelin could get a shot at the tournament if O’Sullivan decides to sit it out, just as Neil Robertson did when O’Sullivan pulled out of the 2025 Masters just two days before the event.
Though it may seem unfair to Wakelin, his situation mirrors that of other players in similar positions, such as Wu Yize, who won the 2025 International Championship but still missed out on qualification for the Champion of Champions event. Such scenarios demonstrate the unpredictable nature of snooker’s qualification system, where a single match or ranking point can mean the difference between participating in a major event or watching from the sidelines.
For now, Wakelin is focused on his next challenge: the Championship League in Leicester, starting in January 2026. But as the first reserve for the Masters, he’s just one withdrawal away from making his return to Alexandra Palace, hoping that his steady rise in the rankings continues to pay off in the big tournaments ahead.
