Ronnie O'Sullivan believes Kyren Wilson's shock World Championship exit was due to burnout from an overcrowded schedule.
Wilson became the latest victim of the infamous "Crucible Curse" after suffering a stunning 10-9 defeat to qualifier Lei Peifan on Saturday night.
The reigning champion's world title defence came to an unexpected end at the hands of the debutant.
Wilson, ranked world No 2, had enjoyed an excellent season, claiming four ranking titles.
Snooker news: Ronnie O'Sullivan believes Kyren Wilson's shock World Championship exit was due to burnout from an overcrowded schedule
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The 33-year-old played 82 matches during the 2024-25 season before his Sheffield exit.
"I think Kyren played in too many tournaments, which he didn't need to play in," said the seven-time world champion.
O'Sullivan, who experienced the Crucible Curse himself in 2002, suggested Wilson should have been more selective with his events.
"This is the one you want to win. I always think, come in a bit undercooked, take a month off playing," he advised.
"For this tournament, you need to be feeling strong come the quarters and semis. To me, I think he has played too much match snooker."
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Snooker news: Lei Peifan was too strong for Kyren Wilson at the Crucible
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The "Crucible Curse" has claimed many victims since the championship moved to Sheffield, with Wilson becoming the 20th first-time winner to fail to defend their title the following year.
No first-time champion has successfully retained the trophy in the year after their maiden victory.
O'Sullivan himself fell victim to the curse in 2002, losing to Stephen Hendry in the semi-finals after his first world title.
"If you look at the last two winners of the world championship, himself and Luca Brecel, they both came in very fresh," O'Sullivan noted.
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Wilson joins an illustrious list of champions who couldn't break the spell that has haunted the Crucible since 1977.
The snooker star was visibly emotional after his defeat, admitting the loss was "extremely tough to take" and "really hurts."
In a bid to avoid bad luck, he had jokingly smashed a mirror before the tournament.
"I certainly had the Snooker Gods against me. Maybe I have to put that mirror I smashed back together," Wilson lamented.
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"I'm sure the Curse will be broken at some point. Unfortunately I won't be that person."
His disappointment was palpable as he contemplated his next steps following the unexpected early exit.
Wilson now faces a difficult decision about his immediate future following the defeat.
"I cannot think of anything worse than snooker right now!" he sighed when discussing his options.
Snooker news: Kyren Wilson cut a dejected figure after crashing out of the World Championship
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The father-of-two is torn between working for BBC TV during the remainder of the tournament or spending time with his family.
"I'm meant to be working for the BBC! I don't know. I don't really want to be there," Wilson admitted.
"I have really missed my family this year, it has been really tough at times.
"Now it's trying to fit in a bit of quality family time."
