World Champion at Risk: Luca Brecel’s Tour Card in Jeopardy as He Pursues Ironman Ambitions!
Luca Brecel, the Belgian snooker sensation who famously stunned the world by defeating Mark Selby to claim the 2023 World Championship title, is now facing a career crossroads. Despite that triumph at the Crucible just 18 months ago, Brecel has struggled to maintain momentum and is slowly slipping down the rankings.
His recent exit at the Northern Ireland Open, where he was soundly beaten by Pang Junxu after narrowly escaping the first round against He Guoqiang, has only deepened concerns about his form. With this defeat, Brecel now sits 56th on the provisional end-of-season rankings, dangerously close to falling outside the top 64—an outcome that would see him lose his tour card.
However, Brecel remains remarkably unconcerned about the prospect of losing his place on the professional tour. The 29-year-old insists that while his match results have been disappointing, he is still playing well enough and believes it’s only a matter of time before his practice game translates to tournament success.
“I just need to get on a run, and that will come,” Brecel commented, maintaining a positive outlook. If he does lose his tour card, Brecel sees it as an exciting challenge rather than a setback. “I’m not worried about losing my tour card. I would see it as a challenge to be in qualifying school, and I’d love to play in Q school one day.”
Despite his struggles on the snooker table, Brecel has found a new passion—training for an Ironman triathlon. Recently, he revealed that ahead of the Northern Ireland Open, he skipped traditional snooker practice in favor of intense triathlon training. Brecel has been preparing in Majorca, a popular destination for professional cyclists, with a goal of completing an Ironman by 2028.
While many think his triathlon ambitions are a distraction, Brecel is determined. “Some people think it’s a joke, but I’m really serious about it,” he explained. Over the next two years, Brecel plans to focus on cycling and running before tackling swimming, indicating that, for now, his energy is split between snooker and a new athletic challenge.