Mark Allen has withdrawn from this month’s Shenzhen Open for personal reasons as his increasingly lengthy absence from competitive snooker continues.
The Northern Irishman was due to face Ben Mertens in the opening round on Monday, September 28, but WST announced on Wednesday that he will not take part.
Mertens will now receive a bye through to the last 32 at the ranking event, which runs from September 28 to October 4.
Allen’s latest withdrawal means he has now missed eight events at the start of the 2026/27 campaign, having not played a competitive match since his dramatic World Championship semi-final defeat to Wu Yize at the Crucible.
The 40-year-old has already withdrawn from the International Championship, British Open, English Open, China Open, and Wuhan Open, while he also skipped the campaign-opening Championship League and the Shanghai Masters invitational.
His prolonged absence is becoming increasingly unusual for a player of Allen’s standing, particularly given that there remains no indication of when he intends to return or any explanation beyond the repeated reference to personal reasons.
Allen was due to compete in China earlier this season but pulled out of both the China Open and Wuhan Open.
“I am gutted to miss these two events in China and my apologies to the fans and promoters in Taiyuan and Wuhan,” Allen said at the time.
“I love playing in China and appreciate the support we always get there, but there are personal reasons why I can’t make it this time.”
“I hope to be back playing in China later this season.”
That anticipated return to China will now not happen in Shenzhen, leaving Allen without a competitive appearance since the World Championship in April and May.
Chasing a maiden Sheffield crown at the Crucible, Allen led late on against Wu but missed an easy match-ball black in the 32nd frame as the Chinese player fought back to force a decider.
Wu eventually won 17-16 before going on to claim his maiden world title in Sheffield.
Allen subsequently missed the Shanghai Masters for the second successive season. He was due to defend his English Open title earlier this month before withdrawing.
There has also been a cryptic social media update from Allen during his absence.
The former Masters champion recently posted a picture on Instagram of a hooded figure with Disturbed’s cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s The Sound of Silence playing over the image.
Allen did not provide an explanation alongside the post, and there has been no indication that it was connected to his absence from the snooker circuit.
With Shenzhen now ruled out, the Pistol’s next scheduled opportunity to return to competitive action comes at his home tournament, the Northern Ireland Open in October.
The extended spell away from the game means Allen will have gone several months without a competitive match by the time he potentially returns to the table.
Allen has won 12 ranking titles during his career and reached the top of the world rankings in 2024.
His most recent ranking title came at the English Open in 2025, when he beat Zhou Yuelong in a dramatic final that went the distance.
Featured photo credit: WST
