Mark Allen says his snooker career may be over after Northern Ireland Open defeat

Summary

Mark Allen, 40, has said he is considering retiring from snooker after losing 4-2 to Jordan Brown in the first round of the Northern Ireland Open in Belfast. The BBC reports that Allen said retiring is "something I have been contemplating for a while". The Guardian reports that he said he was in a "bad place" and that his career could be over. It was his first match since losing the world championship semi-final to Wu Yize in April, when he missed a match-ball black at 16-15 ahead and then lost the deciding frame. Wu went on to win the title.

Timeline

1. BBC

   20 Oct 2026, 15:55 UTCSource ↗

   BBC reports that Mark Allen said retiring from snooker is "something I have been contemplating for a while" following his 4-2 loss to Jordan Brown in the Northern Ireland Open.

2. The Guardian

   20 Oct 2026, 18:54 UTCSource ↗

   The Guardian reports that Mark Allen said he was in a "bad place" and his snooker career could be over after losing 4-2 to Jordan Brown in the first round of the Northern Ireland Open in Belfast.