Mark Allen, a top-ranked snooker player from Northern Ireland, has once again withdrawn from a major tournament due to personal reasons, extending his absence from the professional snooker circuit. The 40-year-old has not played in any events since the World Championship in May, where he was defeated by Wu Yize in the semi-finals. Allen has missed several high-profile tournaments since then, including the non-ranking Shanghai Masters and several ranking events like the Championship League, China Open, Wuhan Open, British Open, and English Open. He had already withdrawn from the upcoming International Championship and has now also pulled out of the Shenzhen Open, which is set to take place later this month. His scheduled match against Belgian player Ben Mertens on September 28 has been canceled, giving Mertens a bye to the last 32 of the tournament. The Shenzhen Open, previously known as the Xi'an Grand Prix, offers a top prize of £177,000, making it one of the more lucrative events on the snooker calendar. Allen's absence from the tournament has been attributed to "personal reasons," though the specific nature of these issues has not been disclosed. The World Snooker Tour has confirmed that they are in contact with Allen as his absence continues, but no further details have been shared. Allen previously released a statement when he withdrew from the China Open and Wuhan Open last month, expressing his disappointment and apologizing to fans and event organizers. He mentioned he hoped to return to China later in the season. During the British Open, Allen posted a cryptic image of a hooded figure with the background music being the Disturbed version of Simon & Garfunkel’s "The Sound of Silence." This image sparked speculation among fans about the nature of his personal struggles, though nothing has been officially confirmed. Allen’s next scheduled appearance will be at the Northern Ireland Open, which runs from October 18 to 25 at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast. He has won the tournament twice before and reached the semi-finals last year. One of the last moments snooker fans saw of Allen before his absence was the dramatic missed black ball against Wu Yize in the World Championship semi-final, which cost him a place in his first World Championship final. Despite the loss, Allen later spoke positively about his experience in Sheffield, acknowledging the positives from his performance.