Luca Brecel was playing in his first match of the 2025-26 season having withdrawn from contests in the Championship League, the Saudi Arabia Masters and the Wuhan Open
Luca Brecel sensationally retired after starting his Xi’an Grand Prix qualifier against Sunny Akani, gifting his rival a 5-0 walkover victory. The Belgian Bullet is in a rut at the moment, and his struggles are showing no signs of letting up.
Brecel’s stunning decision to quit happened just two-and-a-half frames into the match, leaving fans, pundits and Akani all scratching their heads. By pulling out of the competition, Brecel has lost out on a six-figure prize pot, with £177,000 given to last year’s winner, Kyren Wilson.
Brecel was featuring in his opening fixture of the 2025/26 campaign after previously pulling out of the Championship League, the Saudi Arabia Masters, and the Wuhan Open. Trailing 2-0 to the world No. 72 in Leicester, Brecel got up from his chair at 40-0 down in the third frame and shook Akani’s hand.
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The 2023 world champion’s decision left his Thai opponent clearly surprised, as Akani had been lining up a blue into the middle pocket when Brecel conceded.
The four-time ranking title holder has yet to publicly clarify why he decided to walk out, but World Snooker Tour cameras caught him gesturing toward his cue after the handshake.
Only weeks ago, Brecel revealed that ongoing health concerns were behind his repeated withdrawals this year.
The 30-year-old had not taken part in competition since April before this Xi’an Grand Prix qualifier, offering little explanation for his absences until issuing a statement online.
He had specifically mentioned medical reasons for pulling out of the Saudi Arabia Masters. In his message, Brecel explained: “Hi everyone, some of you might have been wondering why I am not participating in snooker events since April.
“The truth is that I am suffering with health problems. Me and my team are doing everything we can to come out of this stronger and better than before.
“It’s been really frustrating to not be able to travel and compete in tournaments! But… I always choose to be optimistic! Tough times often lead to something great!”
Before that announcement, Brecel’s last appearance had been his 13-8 quarter-final loss to Judd Trump at the Crucible in the World Championship.
Despite the setbacks, the Belgian looked enthusiastic about his comeback at the Xi’an Grand Prix, even posting a practice countdown clock on his Instagram story ahead of the qualifier.
It is uncertain whether the WST will take disciplinary action following his abrupt retirement against Akani.
