Jimmy White has revealed he wants to win another tournament before retiring in 2028 (Image: YouTube/Stephen Hendry’s Cue Tips)
Jimmy White has made the decision to push his retirement from snooker down the road after vowing to continue playing until he is 65.
The former Masters champion, 62, is remarkably now into his 45th year as a professional player after bursting onto the scene back in 1980 as a young prodigy. But he has no plans to stop while his desire for winning titles and playing the game continues to burn strong.
Instead, ‘Whirlwind’ has revealed his plans to play for three more years, taking him to his 65th birthday and beyond, with hopes of winning another tournament before he bows out. His last tournament victory came in May 2023, where White won his fourth World Seniors Championship after beating Alfie Burden 5-3 in the final.
White has endured his fair share of setbacks to prolong his career after losing his tour card in 2016. But he earned an invitational wildcard for the World Snooker Tour to bring him back into contention again.
The London-born cue specialist has defied concerns over his age by becoming the oldest man to qualify for the World Championship in 2022 since Eddie Charlton achieved the feat in 1993 aged 63. He also beat the world No.1 Judd Trump at the WST Classic two years ago, highlighting his evergreen ability and impressive longevity.
And the snooker icon is just grateful to still be able to play the sport he loves: “For me to still be able to play and compete now is like a godsend,” White said, speaking to Stephen Hendry in an appearance on his
“I’m going to play for another three years and if I don’t win a tournament, I’m going to stop. I’m 62. People think ‘why are you doing it? You’re nuts’.”
Snooker icon Jimmy White is still going strong at 62 years old (Image: Getty)
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White recently announced that he had been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which he said has affected his concentration levels when at the table. He’s working with ex-player Peter Ebdon to find some coping mechanisms for the developmental disorder.
“I’m trying to work on the mental side,” he said. “I get myself so at it because you play so well practising, but all of a sudden you cannot pot a ball. You love the pressure because that’s half the buzz.
“Not so much now because of this ADHD situation, but I could be playing, and a voice will say to me: ‘Did you water the plants before you left home?’ I’m playing one of the hardest games in the world, a geezer is trying to beat me and I’ve got this voice.
Retired snooker star Peter Ebdon is helping Jimmy White after his ADHD diagnosis (Image: Getty)
“For me, it is concentration. It is more difficult as you get older. If you can close that in, practice and enjoy competing.
He added: “I’ve had to work. With ADHD you think about 15 things at once. I have to be medicated and all that, and it’s completely changed my life.”