Ronnie O'Sullivan is yet to decide whether he will compete in this year's World Snooker Championship, with the seven-time champion planning to make a last-minute call.
The 49-year-old has not played competitively since January's Championship League, where his frustration boiled over and he smashed his cue.
O'Sullivan subsequently withdrew from the Masters and has been absent from a string of tournaments including the Welsh Open and World Grand Prix in Hong Kong.
The world number four has sparked fears he may miss the Crucible showpiece for the first time since his debut in 1992.
Ronnie O'Sullivan has yet to make a decision on whether or not he will play at the World Championship
PA
"I don't know yet. I haven't made my mind up, I'll probably make a decision on maybe the 17th or 18th of April," O'Sullivan told TNT Sports.
"I don't know when I'm due to play my first match, so I'm going to try and leave myself as much time as possible."
This would be cutting it extremely fine, as the tournament begins on April 19 in Sheffield.
"I'd love to be able to go there and play, I'd love to be able to have the confidence to be able to get my cue out and go and play snooker," he added.
If O'Sullivan withdraws after qualification ends on April 16, his opponent would receive a bye to the second round.
The Rocket has been open about his recent struggles, explaining why he stepped back from the sport in recent months.
His frustrations reached breaking point during the Championship League in January when he snapped his cue "in temper".
Since then, O'Sullivan has withdrawn from multiple events including the Masters, German Masters, Welsh Open and World Grand Prix.
Following his Welsh Open withdrawal, he apologised to disappointed fans but emphasised he must prioritise his health and wellbeing.
Despite his absences, O'Sullivan had previously reached semi-finals at several tournaments this season including the Xi'an Grand Prix, Shanghai Masters and Riyadh Season Snooker Championship.
O'Sullivan revealed his struggles have been ongoing for some time.
Ronnie O'Sullivan has been out of action recently with health issuesPA"It's been a real struggle. I've tried to play my way through. I've had moments and glimpses where I thought, OK, this is OK," he said.
"But on the whole, probably three and a half years out of the last four have been pretty terrible for me, and that's kind of took its toll."
The mental strain has affected his passion for the sport.
"I kind of got a bit tired. It kind of ground me down to the point where I kind of lost the love for the game," O'Sullivan explained.
"I'm just gonna try and fix what I think is the problem before I come back to play serious snooker again."
O'Sullivan has played in every World Championship since his first appearance in 1992, making 32 consecutive appearances at the Crucible.
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Ronnie O'Sullivan has spoke candidly about his mental health recently
PAHis potential absence would mark a significant break in one of snooker's most remarkable attendance records.
Should the Rocket withdraw before the tournament begins, there would be a notable impact on the draw.
Gary Wilson, currently ranked 17th in the world, would be promoted to a seeded position.
This would allow Wilson to avoid competing in the qualification rounds that finish just days before the main event begins.
Fans now face an anxious wait to see if O'Sullivan will make his 33rd consecutive appearance in Sheffield.
