Ronnie O'Sullivan has been handed the softest side of the 2026 World Snooker Championship draw, according to Alan McManus — but the former world semi-finalist is still tipping four-time champion Mark Selby as the player most likely to run deep at the Crucible.
The draw for the 17-day tournament pitched O'Sullivan into a first-round clash with China's He Guoqiang, with the seven-time champion's quarter opening up nicely compared with a brutal bottom half that includes defending champion Zhao Xintong, Judd Trump and in-form Kyren Wilson.
"I think Ronnie probably has got the best draw of the seeds," McManus said, studying the bracket for TNT Sports. "For Ronnie, it is a good draw. [It allows him to] get his feet under the table and find some form and get comfortable."
O'Sullivan, chasing a record-breaking eighth world title that would lift him clear of Stephen Hendry, has endured a scratchy campaign by his own stratospheric standards. A run to the World Open final showed flickers of the old genius, but the 50-year-old arrives in Sheffield from a training base in Dublin, fuelling the usual speculation about his mental commitment to the sport he has dominated for three decades.
McManus's favourite, though, is not the record hunter. Asked to pick the one player he would back to reach the semi-finals, the Scot was unequivocal.
"I think if I was going to pick someone, it would be from the bottom half of the draw," he said. "If you are to ask the question, pick one player that you can hang your hat on and who will get to the semi-finals at least, for me it would be Selby."
Selby, a four-time world champion, has won his first ranking event in five years during this campaign and has spoken openly about working his way back from mental health challenges. The 42-year-old's tactical armour and pedigree over the gruelling long format make him a natural pick over flashier but less proven deep-tournament operators.
The Crucible curse — the quirk of history that no first-time world champion has successfully defended the title in Sheffield — looms over Zhao Xintong's campaign. The Chinese star has won the Tour Championship, the World Grand Prix and the Players Championship this season, but history is stacked against a debut defence.
Kyren Wilson, who won the 2024 Masters and Shanghai Masters this season, provides another legitimate contender, while Neil Robertson — ranked third in the world but with just one world title to his name — could finally make peace with the Crucible after years of frustration.
For O'Sullivan, the draw is the easy part. His form, and his will, will decide whether the eighth crown is finally within reach.