Mark Allen says his snooker career may be over after 4-2 loss to Jordan Brown in Belfast
On 20 October 2026 in Belfast, Mark Allen said his snooker career may be over after losing 4-2 to Jordan Brown in the first round of the Northern Ireland Open. He told TNT Sports he was “really overwhelmed” and that “I’m in a bad place at the minute, so even just to go out there and try was tough.”
The 40-year-old was making his first appearance since his world championship semi-final defeat to Wu Yize in April, when he missed a match-ball black off the spot at 16-15 and then lost the deciding frame to Wu, who went on to win the title. Allen has since stayed away from the tour because of personal issues he has kept private, which are understood not to relate directly to that Crucible defeat. After the defeat to Brown — a close friend from Antrim — Allen indicated he expected to take another long break from the sport and that it could become permanent.
In an emotional post-match interview with TNT Sports Allen said: “I’m really overwhelmed,” and added: “I’m in a bad place at the minute, so even just to go out there and try was tough.” He also told the broadcaster: “I think if I wasn’t playing Jordan I wouldn’t have come back.”
Allen explained his decision to play in Belfast by reference to the venue and his relationship with Brown, saying: “I felt like if I was going to play one last time, playing here at the Waterfront, where it all started in 2005, against one of my best mates – I thought that was a better way to sign out.”
Asked about retirement in a separate interview with BBC Sport NI, Allen said: “The last three months have been really, really difficult and I think even just being here today is an achievement. I am not going to announce [retirement] right now after a defeat, but it is something I have been contemplating for a while.”
Currently ranked No 12 in the world after his hiatus, Allen has won 12 ranking tournaments in his career, including the 2022 UK Championship and two Northern Ireland Open titles; he has reached the world championship semi-finals three times and won the Masters in 2018. Both the World Snooker Tour and the WPBSA have provided support to Allen and have indicated their desire to continue helping him.
Brown, whose only ranking title came at the 2021 Welsh Open, said: “First and foremost it’s just great to see Mark back playing. He obviously came through a tough time off the table and I’m with him every step of the way, like everybody is. “We’re all behind him. I miss him and I love him and we all just want to see him healthy and well and playing the game that he loves so much,” Brown added. “He’s a great player and a great guy.”
Allen’s defeat was one of several high-profile first-round exits at the Northern Ireland Open, with Shaun Murphy beaten 4-2 by Liam Davies and Mark Selby losing 4-2 to Louis Heathcote; Zhao Xintong, the world No 1, was beaten 4-2 by Gao Yang, Neil Robertson lost 4-1 to Ricky Walden, and Ronnie O’Sullivan fell 4-3 to Cheung Ka Wai. The defending champion, Jack Lisowski, did advance to the last 32 with a 4-1 win over Huang Jiahao.