John Higgins has set himself the task of remaining in the world’s top 16 until he is 50, but admits he will then consider his future in snooker.
The Wizard of Wishaw turned 48 last month and is still competing at the top of the sport, currently ranked ninth in the world.
He has just been through a poor season by his high standards, but still picked up the Invitational Championship League title and reached the quarter-finals of the World Championship, losing out to Mark Selby.
After that defeat to the Jester from Leicester, Higgins said that if his form doesn’t improve over the next campaign and he dropped down the rankings, then he would be considering whether it is time to retire from the game.
He is looking at the situation more positively now, aiming to keep hold of his spot in the top 16 for at least a couple more years, having been in that elite group since 1995.
However, he says that when he reaches 50 he will re-evaluate what’s next, even if he is still competing at the very top level.
‘If someone said 10 or 15 years ago that I might not be playing, I would have thought there would be no life without snooker,’ Higgins told Rob Walker on his Absent Friends Tour.
‘I’m getting towards the the age of 50 and looking at a couple of different things. Who knows what will be for me in the future, but snooker is still a big part of my life.
‘I don’t know if there is a finish line. I don’t think you can ever take this sport for granted. I’ve certainly never done that.
‘I’ve always said to myself I’d love to still be a seed and in the top 16 competing at the Masters when I’m 50. Staying in that bracket throughout my whole career would be a good milestone.
‘If I reach that one, then I’ll maybe be looking to see where my life is at that moment. Not my snooker life but my personal one.’
The start of the new snooker season is now less than two weeks away, with the Championship League getting started on 26 June.
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