Mark Allen considers retirement after Northern Ireland Open defeat

Mark Allen said he is considering retirement after losing 4-2 to Jordan Brown in the Northern Ireland Open first round in Belfast on Tuesday, 20 October. The former world number one told BBC Sport NI he had been contemplating leaving snooker for some time, putting his future in doubt ahead of the UK Championship.

Asked directly whether he was considering ending his career, Allen replied: ‘Yeah.’ He said he would not announce retirement immediately after a defeat, but that ‘something needs to change’ within six weeks before the UK Championship for him to play. He said he would work on himself over the coming weeks and see what followed.

Why Allen played Jordan Brown in Belfast

Allen said he might not have played had his opponent been someone other than Brown. He described facing his fellow Antrim player at the Waterfront Hall, where his career began in 2005, as a potentially fitting final match. He did not want his last appearance to be remembered for his World Championship semi-final defeat in Sheffield in May, he said.

How Brown ended Allen’s return

Tuesday’s match was Allen’s first competitive appearance since that semi-final loss to Wu Yize. Allen took the opening frame against Brown and later levelled at 2-2, but Brown made breaks of 53 and 80 to win the final two frames, according to BBC Sport NI’s match report. Brown had lost to Allen in last year’s Northern Ireland Open quarter-finals.

The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association lists Allen as a 12-time ranking event winner and two-time Northern Ireland Open champion. Its profile also records that he missed a black to win against Wu in the 2026 World Championship semi-final before losing the deciding frame to the eventual champion. Allen’s comments in Belfast leave his participation in the next UK Championship undecided.