O’Sullivan fights to cure ‘disease’ that has plagued his game
Xinhua, September 1, 2026
Seven-time snooker world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan says he has a “disease.”
It is not a medical diagnosis. It is how he describes a technical problem he has spent nearly four years trying to cure, one he says has robbed him of the power, direction and confidence that once made him the dominant player in world snooker.
“I call it a disease because it feels like the method that I took on has ruined me,” the 50-year-old said after reaching the semifinals of the World Snooker Wuhan Open last week. “I‘ve got no cue power, got no sense of direction. I don’t know where the balls are going.”
Ronnie O’Sullivan of England competes during the first round match between Ronnie O’Sullivan of England and Liu Linhao of China at the World Snooker Shanghai Masters 2026 in Shanghai, east China, July 27, 2026. (Xinhua/Chen Haoming)
His latest withdrawal from the British Open, which begins Monday in Cheltenham, came for medical reasons. But just days earlier in Wuhan, O’Sullivan was still wrestling with the technical problem that has increasingly defined this stage of his career.
Last Thursday, in an all-English quarterfinal against four-time world champion Mark Selby at the Wuhan Open, O’Sullivan fell 2-0 behind before winning three frames in a row. Selby leveled at 3-3, but O’Sullivan finished the match with breaks of 80 and 129 to win 5-3.
Sky Sports called it “his most impressive performance of the season yet.” O’Sullivan called it ugly.
“To be honest, I don’t really have much hope to regain the kind of level that I was at before,” he said at the news conference afterward. “But as it stands, it’s pretty ugly out there for me, and maybe ugly for you guys to watch me play.“
The next day, the difference between what O’Sullivan saw and what others saw became even more striking.
In the semifinal, he faced China’s 24-year-old Chang Bingyu, whom he had coached about a decade ago.
This time, O’Sullivan seemed to lose his connection with the table. Several important shots caught the edge of the pocket and bounced away. At one point, a frustrated O’Sullivan swung his cue through the air, then sat down and shook his head. He eventually lost 6-3.
“Just embarrassing,” he told Xinhua. The “disease” in his game, he added, had “come back big time.“
According to O’Sullivan, the problem dates back six years. At 44, he could have relied on decades of experience and continued playing largely as he always had. But he didn’t. Instead, he decided to learn a technique called “SightRight,” a coaching method designed to help players align their eyes correctly with a shot.
“A lot of people kind of thought it was good,” O’Sullivan said. “It kind of turned against me after three or four years of doing it. So I’m trying to unlearn that, which is really hard to do.”
For most players, experience is supposed to provide something to fall back on when a shot goes wrong. But O’Sullivan said he has lost that safety net.
“As a player, you always have some anchors to hang onto,” he said. “I used to have four or five where if one wasn’t working, I’d try another one, and then that would just get me going. But at the moment, I just have nothing. I haven’t for four years, so it’s just been like a nightmare.“
O’Sullivan has not won a ranking title since January 2024. His seventh world championship came in 2022. Before Wuhan, he had won only one match at each of the Shanghai Masters and China Open this season. He even described himself as a “very poor snooker player.”
Yet there are contradictions in that diagnosis. A player who says he has no sense of direction remains No. 14 in the world, while a player who calls his own technique ugly can still beat some of the biggest names in the sport.
For Wuhan spectator Chen Can, the O’Sullivan he watched was very different from the player O’Sullivan described.
“He beat Carter 5-2, downed Yao Pengcheng 5-1, knocked out Maguire 5-2 and defeated Selby 5-3,” Chen said. “I feel he still has it. His attacking game is still smooth, and he can adjust quickly when he is in trouble.“
Some British fans commenting online offered a simpler diagnosis, saying O’Sullivan “can’t cure it. It’s called ‘age’.”
But O’Sullivan does not buy that explanation. At an age when many players have long since retired, he is still taking his game apart and trying to rebuild it.
“I’ve been trying to do it for a year. I thought I was there, but I wasn’t, and now I’m kind of back to the drawing board,” he said.
He has also sought advice from Steve Davis and Stephen Hendry, who told him they continued playing for perhaps a decade after entering similar slumps.
“I give myself 18 months, maybe, to get into the 2028 world championships, to see if I can get somewhere back to how I used to hit the ball,” he said. “If I hit the ball half decent, then I can still win tournaments.“
An eighth world title in 2028 would give O’Sullivan the outright record for modern-era world championships, moving him beyond Hendry’s seven.
“I’ll try my hardest,” he said. “We’ll have to wait and see.”
I had wondered for some time when this would come out. I eventually did. Not that I knew anything, but Ronnie has always been an instinctive player and trying to “rationalise” his game” was always unlikely to work well for him. I hasn’t.
Also, the “sightright” method was all the rage a few years back from now but It seems to have disappeared from the headlines for some time now, and I haven’t heard any player mentioning it nor have I spotted Steve Feeney at any event for quite a while.
Hopefully Ronnie can rediscover his fluency and starts enjoying his snooker again. Win or loose … but just rediscover joy in his game.
Ronnie O’Sullivan: ‘If my son wants to play Snooker 900, I’ll tell him to go for it’
O’Sullivan is a key part of Snooker 900, which is broadcast live on Pluto TV.
Ryan Smart
Ronnie O’Sullivan says he has never encouraged his son, Ronnie Jr, to take up professional snooker – but won’t stand in his way when it comes to Snooker 900.
Seven-time world champion O’Sullivan is heavily involved in the project of Snooker 900, a faster-paced format founded by promoter and agent Jason Francis which sees frames played over 15 minutes and with shot clocks in operation.
He co-launched a dedicated, 24/7 snooker channel on Pluto TV last year, which broadcasts up to 18 hours of live snooker every week including all Snooker 900 events.
The concept has attracted some of snooker’s big-name stars, with the likes of Neil Robertson, John Higgins, Luca Brecel and Jimmy White competing in events.
Robertson called the rules for Snooker 900 ‘the most fun I’ve had playing snooker’ after he took part for the first time last year.
When the channel was launched in October, O’Sullivan spoke about how he felt the format was bringing back ‘grassroots snooker’ and, as well as the senior events, there are also tournaments for junior, amateur and disability snooker players.
In April, ‘The Rocket’ won the inaugural Global Snooker 900 Championship, taking home the £25,000 top prize and beating 2023 world champion Luca Brecel on the way.
Now, O’Sullivan has opened up on the next steps for Snooker 900 – and has reiterated his hopes of setting up a specialised tour over the coming years.
“My legacy would be, providing a tour, and a summer camp for juniors where they’re just playing 900,” O’Sullivan said in a new interview with Pluto TV, which is releasing on Monday.
“They’ve got choices now – football, tennis and golf. We need to give them the snooker option. I feel like the 15 minute frames just keeps it modern day – it’s enough, it’s perfect. Everyone gets what they need out of it.
“It’s something I would encourage juniors to play. We’ll have some academies where they can go and learn 900, and go and be an expert.
“We want to encourage everyone. It’s a level playing field, anyone can do it. Your talent can be [smaller] and you can still make it, I think.“
O’Sullivan, one of the quickest players on the professional snooker circuit, says he enjoys the 15-minute concept – because there is a set start point and end point to every match.
“The biggest thing is, it gives structure. If I play at 12, I’m done by 2:30. I can have a nice lunch and time to have a sleep,” he explains.
“I have time to come back, have a shower, get warmed up for the evening session. I’ve already planned what I’m doing tonight. I know I’m going to be back in Woodford probably around half 10.
“If I was playing in a normal tournament, I don’t know what’s going to happen. My wife knows [in a Snooker 900 tournament] I’m going to be home at half 10, and she’s like, ‘Cool’, and can get on with her day. Everyone’s happy.
“You see it at Wimbledon sometimes. The rain starts and the players are there for about six or seven hours. It must be awful for them. We do that on the main tour.“
‘You’ve got one or two hours of pain, but enjoyment‘
O’Sullivan has repeatedly stated in the past that he wouldn’t want his children to play snooker – comments that did bring with them some negative reactions from other players.
In 2022, he told Eurosport that he ‘just wouldn’t want my child to live that life‘, adding: “I want them to be out in the fresh air. I want them to have a good life … I kind of just think, would I want my child to grow up in that environment? Would I want my child to go through what I went through?“
But he now says that, when it comes to Snooker 900 tournaments, he would be more than willing to encourage them to play if they wanted to.
“It’s a great format. Snooker is a hard game. If you’ve played traditional snooker, it’s a tough game,” O’Sullivan stated.
“I’d never say to my son, ‘Play snooker’. I try to take him away from it. But if he says, ‘I want to play 900’, I’ll go, ‘Yeah, fine’. You’ve got one hour or two hours of pain, but enjoyment. It’s fun. It’s good. Go for it.”
There has been increasing talk over the past 12 months of what life beyond the main snooker tour holds for O’Sullivan, given he operated on a part-time schedule during the 2025/26 season.
He stated in April that he was ‘working with the sponsors and promoters on my schedule‘, but hasn’t yet announced what that schedule will entail in terms of specific events.
But ‘The Rocket’ says he is reassured by what Snooker 900 can offer as he transitions to a new stage of his career.
“I love the way that Jason has kept it as a kind of club atmosphere. Growing up as kids in the snooker clubs… I’ve always said they were probably the happiest days of my life, playing in that environment. The atmosphere, really intimate – it’s exciting.
“Someone like me, or John Higgins, we’ve always got an eye on life after the main tour. It kind of gives you that hope to keep playing against top-level players, and being able to adapt and compete and give back to the fans.”
Snooker 900 is available to watch live and exclusively on Pluto TV. The interview with Ronnie O’Sullivan will be available to watch live tonight at 11pm BST, or on demand from Tuesday 7th July.
New interview episodes drop daily throughout the week, featuring exclusive interviews with snooker greats including Cliff Thorburn. Catch them all entirely for free and on demand on Pluto TV.
It’s nice to see Ronnie being enthusiastic about something snooker, and I can’t praise Jason enough for all the creativity he has shown and the work he has put in for years now, trying to develop and promote the sport.
There is one big negative point though … going by a recent tweet, Jason seems to be convinced that Pluto TV is available worldwide. It’s not. It’s only available in the UK … unless you use a virtual private network (vpn) to cheat the system…
It seems to be genuine but I’m not sure what the intended purpose of it actually is as Ronnie is, by nature, a rather “private” person.
There are currently only two videos on the channel. One presenting his “typical” day, the other one showing him practicing. The contend of the first one has a feel of “déjà vu” for me, maybe something out of his life documentary. Notably, amongst other things, that video shows him preparing two pooches for their “walk”, which suggests it was filmed when he was still in a couple with Laila. The second video shows his practicing, probably in Saudi Arabia. Apparently there was another video on the channel, the very first one to be uploadedactually, showing his 1000th century, but it’s no longer there 1…
Some press presents it a new “career” … which is frankly ridiculous. Me, having been close to Ronnie for a few years in the past, and getting to know him a bit as a person, I’m not expecting much of this at all.
“Finally gone and got a YouTube channel, I will be uploading all sorts here from some of my favourite shots and matches to me cooking to me meeting and chatting to some interesting people. Hope you guys enjoy it!!“
Maybe because of media ownership rights, I’m not sure … ↩︎
Debutant Lei Stuns Wilson As Crucible Curse Strikes Again
Kyren Wilson became the 20th first-time Crucible champion to fail to defend the title the following year as he suffered a dramatic 10-9 reverse against debutant Lei Peifan on the opening night of the Halo World Championship.
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In a match of momentum swings, Wilson won six frames in a row to lead 6-2, then lost seven in succession to trail 9-6, before a late fight-back, only to lose the decider. Having conquered the Crucible 12 months ago, it’s a massive blow for the 33-year-old who had high hopes of retaining the title after a prolific season in which he has won four trophies. Wilson becomes the eighth first-time Crucible champion to lose in the first round the following year, and it ends a streak of nine consecutive years in which he has reached at least the second round.
Early Exits
First time champions to lose their opening match the following year
Terry Griffiths 1980 Steve Davis 1982 Dennis Taylor 1986 Graeme Dott 2007 Neil Robertson 2011 Stuart Bingham 2016 Luca Brecel 2024 Kyren Wilson 2025
China’s 21-year-old Lei won his first ranking title earlier this season at the BetVictor Scottish Open, but said that tonight’s win was the biggest of his career so far as he rose to the occasion on his maiden appearance at snooker’s most famous venue. From 6-2 down, he hit his opponent with a barrage of high scoring, and after a late wobble he regained his composure to make an excellent break in the deciding frame.
The world number 39, who nearly missed out on the Crucible as he had to come from 7-4 and 9-8 down to beat Gao Yang 10-9 in the final qualifying round, is through to the last 16 and will face Zhao Xintong or Jak Jones from Friday next week.
“It feels amazing. The Scottish Open was my first title and this was my Crucible debut — both moments are very special to me. The emotions were just as intense,” said Lei.
Lei trailed 6-3 after the first session but dominated from the start tonight, firing breaks of 50, 53, 60, 75 and 89 to take the first four frames and lead 7-6. After the interval, Wilson had the first scoring chance in frame 14 but made just 19 before missing a red to a top corner and Lei punished him with 69. Another Wilson missed red to a corner pocket early in the 15th proved expensive as his opponent compiled a superb 92 for 9-6.
World number two Wilson pulled one back with a break of 106. In the 17th, Lei was two pots from victory on a run of 60 when he over-cut the third last red to a top corner, and Wilson later cleared with 45 to close the gap to 9-8. Lei led 40-10 in the 18th when he missed a mid-range red and Wilson’s 60 drew them level.
Kettering’s Wilson had one clear chance in the decider but made just 14 before failing to split the pack off the blue. He later made a safety error and Lei’s tremendous break of 66 made him the first player to beat a defending champion in their debut match at the Crucible since Stuart Bingham knocked out Stephen Hendry in 2000.
Wilson said: “It’s really hard to take, it really hurts. Lei potted some incredible balls and held himself together in the end, he seems like a cool character and I wish him all the best. It has been a long season, I have done so much. I am proud of the way I have handled it and hopefully I have given you guys (the media) plenty to write about. We are all trying to grow the game, make it more popular and help the younger generation to see it as a great sport to get into.“
Lei added: “I didn’t think I had much chance when the draw came out. But the moment I stepped into the arena and saw the crowd, I just felt so excited. It really lived up to what I saw on TV all those years ago. I was definitely feeling pressure towards the end. I calmed myself down and told myself not to over-think — just to let go and play freely.
“I really enjoyed playing here – the crowd, the lighting, the whole atmosphere was amazing. I was fully immersed and happy throughout the match. In the deciding frame when the curtain came up, it felt like I was in a final. I used to watch that scene on TV when I was a kid – now it was real, I was actually sitting next to that table. It brought back so many childhood memories. And of course, it made me want to win even more – I’ve worked hard to get here, and I wanted to give something back to the fans and to myself.“
On the other table, Barry Hawkins took a 5-4 lead over Hossein Vafaei. World number 11 Hawkins, runner-up here in 2013, top scored with 93 in taking a 3-1 lead. After the interval, Iran’s Vafaei rallied with breaks of 56 and 123 to restore parity at 3-3. Hawkins pulled away again to 5-3, but Vafaei made an important 64 in the last of the evening to trail by just one frame overnight.
Kyren Wilson has been a fantastic World Champion all season, a great ambassador for his sport. Yesterday he came up short, just, against an inspired Lei Peifan. Lei is very strong under pressure, he showed that earlier this season, the way he won the Scottish Open, his first ranking title. Obviously, Kyren must be very disappointed right now but he should be proud of himself and of the way he represented his sport. I hope that, in a few days, he can see how well he did as a first time World Champion. Thank you Kyren.
Hereafter, the ES pundits, including Ronnie, discuss various topics, among other things, why/how the Crucible is special and Zhao Xintong’s as well as Judd Trump’s, Mark Selby an John Higgins’ chances. This was before the evening session . Zhao starts today…
Zhao served his ban, came back hungry, regained his tour card via an official route, and earned his invite via an official route as well. He deserves to be here.
We are finally getting some news about Ronnie … it’s not great but the very fact that he decided to open up about his struggles is a positive. Here are two pieces reporting what Ronnie had to say about how he feels and what the situation currently is. Thank you Ben for sharing them in commentary.
It seems that we read and look up the same stuff …
Ronnie O’Sullivan reveals the chances of him playing at the World Snooker Championship – and opens up on being at the ‘end of his tether’ with the sport
Ronnie O’Sullivan has not competed at a tournament since his January meltdown
The Englishman snapped his cue and said he was ‘burnt out,’ needing a break
Now he has given an insight into his mentality about the World Championship
Ronnie O’Sullivan admits he still does not know if he will play at this month’s World Snooker Championship – and he will give himself until the day before the draw to decide.
The record seven-time world champion has not competed in a tournament since snapping his cue in anger at the Champions League in Leicester in January.
Explaining his prolonged absence for the first time, O’Sullivan said he needed to take a break because he was ‘burnt out’, revealing he had become ‘scared’ to pick up his cue because of how badly he was playing.
The 49-year-old has since returned to the practice table and is working with coach Gary Filtness to see if he can improve his form in time to make a comeback at the Crucible.
O’Sullivan has been given a provisional seeding of four for the World Championship which starts on April 19, with the draw taking place two days before.
But the Rocket told Mail Sport: ‘If you’d asked me three days ago, I’d have said, “100 per cent I’m playing”, because I found something, and I was like, “Wow, I’m hitting the ball good”.
‘The confidence came back and it lasted for three days, and I was like, “Oh yeah, I fancy it”. But then the last two days, it’s gone downhill. It seems to be one step forward, two steps back.
‘As I sit here, it’s highly unlikely I’ll play in the World Championship. But I’ve got some practice sessions booked in with a very, very good player who is in the top 16 on April 14th, 15th and 16th. So I’m going to give myself until that very last practice session to just see where my game is at.
‘If I think, “You know what, it’s all right”, I’ll probably play. But if it’s like it is today, it’s just not going to be pretty for me.
‘Obviously, I snapped my cue and I’m still trying to find a cue I’m comfortable with, which I haven’t yet been able to do.
‘I’d love to be back playing. I really, really would. Pulling out of tournaments ain’t good for me. It’s not what I want to be doing. I want to be out there competing.
‘The last three or four weeks I’ve been practising a hell of a lot. But at the start of the season I was getting scared to go near the practice table and getting scared to get my cue out of my case.
‘I got to the end of my tether with my game. Now I’m just focusing on getting that fixed because if I don’t get that fixed, there are no ournaments.’
‘Couldn’t keep going on’ – Ronnie O’Sullivan undecided on playing Snooker World Championship and is ‘SCARED’ to practise
O’Sullivan admitted he still hasn’t found a cue after snapping his previous one
RONNIE O’SULLIVAN admits he has felt “scared” to go near a practice or match table during his enforced snooker break.
In an exclusive SunSport interview, the Rocket, 49, remains undecided if he will play at this month’s World Snooker Championship, which starts on April 19.
The decision to appear at the Crucible will hinge on THREE key practice sessions the days before the action starts in Sheffield on Easter Saturday.
He regrets his meltdown in January when he snapped his cue in anger at a low-key event in Leicester – and he is struggling to find a suitable replacement.
O’Sullivan, who has pulled out of FIVE tournaments in 2025, said: “I’ll make a decision when I feel like I’m ready to make a decision. That will be it.
“I know I have nothing to prove. But I was getting to the point where I was scared to even go near a table.
“Not even the match table, just a practice table. And that has been going on for a long time.
“I tried to play through it. I tried and I tried and I tried. I was getting no enjoyment out of it.
“Even that season when I won five tournaments, it was just hard. I couldn’t keep going on struggling.
“At some point you’ve got to try and enjoy the game. I can only enjoy it if I’m playing half decent.”
O’Sullivan – currently ranked fourth in the Worlds seeding pot – will play another pro over three days and how he feels then will influence his decision whether to appear at the Crucible for a 33rd consecutive year.
The seven-time world champion said: “I’ve got practice sessions booked up on the 14th, 15th and 16th.
“I’ll make a decision after those three good sparring sessions that I have arranged.
“Until then, I’ll be working as hard as I can to try and figure out the problem.
“It’s hard. It’s really hard. I never thought I’d be in this situation where I didn’t feel like I’d have the confidence to go and play to be honest with you.”
A race against time is on to locate the cue that will make him competitive over 17 gruelling days of action in South Yorkshire.
At the start of this year, after he lost 3-2 to Chris Wakelin at the behind-closed-doors event Championship League, O’Sullivan took his equipment and broke it in half – and then stuffed it in the bin!
His pal Robbie retrieved the cue and O’Sullivan laughed: “Unrepairable. It’s a bit of memorabilia now. It’ll be getting sold off.
“I literally don’t have a cue. I still haven’t found one that I’m comfortable with. Still just trying out different ones. Trying to find one that I like.
“I’ve probably changed my cue maybe four, five times. On two or three occasions, I found one straightaway.
“On the other two occasions, it has taken me sometimes a year to find one.
“I do regret it really. Because it was my cue. It’s hard to find another one.
“What happened was just coming. I have done it before. And it’s not the game, it’s me really.
“I’ve just been struggling for so long now. I just couldn’t do it anymore to be honest with you. I couldn’t. And I’m still struggling now to be honest.”
O’Sullivan, who turns 50 this year, has pulled out of the Masters, German Masters, Welsh Open and World Grand Prix, citing “medical grounds”.
The long-term snooker expert for TNT Sports insists the issues are with his technique and are affecting his ability to strike the ball straight.
He said: “It got to the point where I was struggling with the game. I always call it snooker depression.
“Call it stage fright. Call it whatever you like. It starts to affect you mentally.
“Listen, that’s why I snapped my cue, I just couldn’t take it anymore.
“I don’t want to put myself in a situation where I feel like that could happen again.
“I need to find the love for the game, to find that passion.
“I’m not bothered about winning and losing. I never have been.
“I’ve always been more, ‘Where’s my game at?’ If my game is alright, then cool.
“If it’s terrible, I can leave that for one, two, three, four months. But I can’t live for three, four years of struggling and just grinding it out.
“It was just no fun to be honest with you. I’m trying to unravel it.
“If you’d asked me the question, ‘Do you think I’ll ever get to a point where I feel comfortable enough to go and play?‘
“Well, the answer two days ago would have been probably ‘maybe’. If you ask me today, after the last two practice sessions, I’d say absolutely not.
Gary Filtness is someone Ronnie has a lot of respect for. That’s no guarantee of success but it certainly helps. At least we now know where things stand. Also, Ronnie had spoken about going to Riyadh, end of next week to work with Nigel Bond. Nigel is also someone he trusts and an excellent coach. Fingers crossed something positive comes out of this!
But he’s been a lso beenworking with Lee Walker recently
Ronnie O’Sullivan’s coach reveals ‘hope’ ahead of World Snooker Championship decision
Ronnie O’Sullivan’s coach, Lee Walker, opens up about working with the seven-time world champion as fans wait to see if the Rocket will take part at the Crucible
By Mark Whiley Sports Reporter
It remains to be seen whether Ronnie O’Sullivan will play at the World Championship(Image: Getty)
Snooker coach Lee Walker has lifted the lid on working with Ronnie O’Sullivan as the Rocket ponders whether to play at the World Championship. Three years after going level with Stephen Hendry on seven world titles, it remains to be seen if the Rocket will show up for the 2025 showpiece, which begins on April 19.
O’Sullivan briefly returned to action in January at the low-key Championship League, only to smash his cue in frustration and withdraw before his final group match. He promptly withdrew from the Masters, where he was due to defend the title, and a series of other tournaments.
The 49-year-old is on the official entry list for the Crucible, but it remains anyone’s guess as to whether he will take part. Unhappy with his game, perfectionist O’Sullivan enlisted the help of Mark Williams’ long-time coach, Walker, earlier this season. That relationship is still ongoing as fans await the Rocket’s Crucible call with bated breath.
“We’re still working together but he’s taking a bit of a break at the moment,” said Walker in mid-March in an interview for Reach’s World Championship preview publication.
“We’ll just wait and see whether he comes back and plays at the World Championship. Hopefully, if he does play in the World Championship, he can feel a bit better and get back to doing what he does best, which is potting balls.”
O’Sullivan hasn’t played competitive snooker since January(Image: Getty)
While Walker has had just a handful of sessions with O’Sullivan so far, he described them as “incredible” experiences.
“It’s different to Mark because we’re very good friends and have practised together for years. I know what I’m seeing there,” explained Walker, a former World Seniors champion.
“I’ve played Ronnie a couple of times but had not actually seen what he does close up. I’ve had four or five sessions with him, and I enjoyed every one.
“He was first-class with me in every session we did. To see a player like that up close, everybody can learn different things from watching him.”
Williams had no issues with Walker linking up with one of his great rivals. Walker revealed: “He told me to do it. He basically said, ‘When a player like Ronnie asks you, there’s only one answer’.”
While O’Sullivan’s immediate future is uncertain, Walker insists it would be foolish to write him and fellow ‘Class of 92’ members Williams and John Higgins off.
“If he [O’Sullivan] never plays again or never wins another tournament, he’ll still go down as the greatest player who’s ever played the game,” said Walker. “This is what separates the likes of Ronnie, Mark and John from most other players.“
John has just won again [at the World Open] after a few years of not winning. People said he’d never win another tournament but you can never write these guys off. They’re just incredible.
“I’m sure Ronnie will eventually want to get back to it. I think everyone, firstly, wants to see him feeling good and then getting back to what he does best.”
I had just seen that same interview myself.
I’m not sure what to make of all this.
It’s obvious that Ronnie is truly struggling with his mental health at the moment and probably isn’t really fit to play. It’s not the first time it happens. Of course, we don’t know if the state of his snooker is the only thing weighting on his mind. Because a person, like Ronnie, is a “public figure” doesn’t mean the “public” has any right to know what’s going on in their private life and nobody knows what’s going on in other people’s life unless they share their concerns, fears or sorrows. Also, Ronnie has previous with depression. His documentary was very revealing in that regard. We just have to accept that it is what it is – as he would put it himself – and hope for the best.
Draw And Schedule Confirmed For Sportsbet.io Tour Championship
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The opening afternoon sees Johnstone’s Paint Masters Champion Shaun Murphy kick off the event against one of the season’s most consistent performers, Barry Hawkins. The winner of that match will face off against world number one Judd Trump, who begins his campaign on Wednesday April 2nd at 1pm.
The top 12 on the Johnstone’s Paint One-Year Rankings have earned a place in Manchester. The top four seeds go straight into the quarter-finals, while the other eight players start a round earlier. The schedule is:
Monday 31st March 1pm Shaun Murphy v Barry Hawkins first session Xiao Guodong v Wu Yize first session
7pm Shaun Murphy v Barry Hawkins concluding session Mark Williams v Ding Junhui first session
Tuesday 1st April 1pm Mark Selby v Si Jiahui first session Xiao Guodong v Wu Yize concluding session
7pm Mark Selby v Si Jiahui concluding session Mark Williams v Ding Junhui concluding session
Wednesday 2nd April 1pm Judd Trump v Murphy or Hawkins first session John Higgins v Xiao or Wu first session
7pm Judd Trump v Murphy or Hawkins concluding session Neil Robertson v Selby or Si first session
Thursday 3rd April 1pm John Higgins v Xiao or Wu concluding session Kyren Wilson v Williams or Ding first session
7pm Neil Robertson v Selby or Si concluding session Kyren Wilson v Williams or Ding concluding session
Friday 4th April 1pm Semi-final first session
7pm Semi-final concluding session
Saturday 5th April 1pm Semi-final first session
7pm Semi-final concluding session
Sunday 6th April 1pm Final first session
7pm Final concluding session
You will also find the draw and everything you need on snooker.org
There is only one player in the field who, as it currently stands, will need to qualify for the Crucible: Wu Yize. Wu needs to reach the semi-finals to climb ahead of Jak Jones currently seeded 16th. It’s quite baffling that being runner-up last year may not be enough to guarantee Jak Jones automatic qualification but that’s how it is.
One Ronnie O’Sullivan record labelled ‘ridiculous and obscene’ by snooker rival
Phil HaighPublished March 24, 2025
Shaun Murphy is blown away by Ronnie O’Sullivan’s Triple Crown record, labelling his total of 23 as ‘ridiculous’ and ‘obscene’.
The Rocket has won more of snooker’s majors than any other player in history, with seven World Championships, eight Masters and and eight UK Championships to his name.
He has long since broken Stephen Hendry’s previous record of 18, with the Scot having landed seven World Championships, six Masters and five UK Championships.
The only other player to make it into double figures was Steve Davis, who won 15 Triple Crowns, with the next in line being John Higgins and Mark Selby on nine each.
Murphy himself has completed the Triple Crown and won his fourth major title at the Masters this season, an amazing achievement, but one that has been dwarfed by the Rocket.
The Magician was asked on his onefourseven podcast what is more likely, for him to reach two of each Triple Crowns, or O’Sullivan to make it to eight of each and he took a moment to consider how mammoth the Rocket’s achievement is.
‘When you just look at the numbers in that question. He needs a world title to make it 8-8-8, it’s ridiculous,’ said Murphy.
‘I’ve worked my nuts off to win my four and he’s got 23. It’s obscene.’
O’Sullivan has said in the past that he is not sure anyone will beat his tally of Triple Crown titles.
‘Someone’s going to have to do phenomenally well to get my records,’ he said ahead of last year’s World Championship. ‘It’s going to be hard to catch those records now. My ranking events is beatable. But the major titles – UKs, Masters and Worlds – that will be hard to get to.
‘I’m pretty cool with what I’ve done, but I’d like to win more though.’
On the question of whether O’Sullivan will make it to 8-8-8 or Murphy reach 2-2-2, the Magician sounded like he was leaning towards the Rocket, but ultimately plumped for himself.
‘I suppose the fact that Ronnie only needs one to complete the set. And will I win anything else? Let’s not assume anything,’ he said.
‘It took me 10 years to win a second Masters, I’ve never won a second World Championship and I haven’t won a second UK Championship.’
He added: ‘I’m going to back myself, I think me getting 2-2-2 is possibly more likely. I was going to say “with what we’ve seen from Ronnie in the last few months” but we haven’t seen him have we. Will we see him?’
Murphy is referring to O’Sullivan’s prolonged absence from professional competition, which has seen him out of action since January when he smashed his cue at the Championship League.
He has pulled out of a string of events including the Masters at Alexandra Palace and World Grand Prix in Hong Kong, with doubts over whether he will now play at the World Championship.
The 49-year-old has never missed a trip to the Crucible since his debut in 1993, but there is a possibility that could change next month.
Murphy said of the situation: ‘I don’t want to stray into the mental health and what he’s got going on in his personal life. What he may or may not have going on, I don’t want to go into that, it’s none of my business.
‘But from a technical point of view, last time out he smashed his cue up, you don’t get another cue and you don’t get used to another cue overnight. I’m sure he’ll only play if he’s ready to play, on and off the table.’
That possibility is very real and it would be a shame if Ronnie isn’t there but, as Shaun said, we don’t know what’s going on in his live.
Me, I just want him to be well and happy. He has nothing to prove, he has given a lot to his sport, more than any other player, even at times when he was struggling badly. His Netflix documentary was hard to watch at times, heartbreaking even. What will be, will be. We can only hope for the best, for him in the first place and for the fans too. We have to accept that nothing and no one goes on forever. There are plenty of great players in snooker currently and the global level has probably never been better. The show WILL go on.
Xiao Guodong beat David Gilbert 3-2 in an exciting finish to the final of Group Seven of BetVictor Championship League Snooker Invitational to become the seventh and last player into the Winners’ Group.
China’s Xiao, who landed his first ranking title earlier this season at the Wuhan Open, will return on February 4th and 5th for the Winners’ Group, alongside Judd Trump, Hossein Vafaei, Si Jiahui, Kyren Wilson, Mark Selby and Matthew Selt, when the title and a place in the 2025 Sportsbet.io Champion of Champions will be up for grabs.
Ricky Walden finished top of the group phase on Saturday with five wins out of five, but then suffered 3-2 reverse against Gilbert, who made a break of 135 in the deciding frame. Xiao, who finished second in the group table, beat Noppon Saengkham 3-0 in the semis without conceding a single point, scoring runs of 75, 100 and 123.
In the final, Xiao led 1-0 and 2-1 but Gilbert, who earlier made a 147 during the group phase, battled back to 2-2 with a 101 in frame four. Xiao was on 59 in the decider when he missed the penultimate red, and Gilbert had a chance to clear, but a tricky pot on the last red to a centre pocket hit the far jaw, and that proved his last shot.
Judd Trump calls for German Masters changes ahead of bid for fourth title
Phil Haigh
Judd Trump is defending his German Masters title next week (Picture: Getty Images)
Judd Trump has hailed the German Masters as a top three event on the calendar, calling for the tournament to increase in stature to match its reputation.
The ranking event at the Tempodrom in Berlin is one of the highlights of the snooker season, played in the unique arena in front of a lively German crowd.
Trump is a three-time German Masters champion and will be in Berlin next week looking to defend his title in an event he looks forward to more than most.
In fact, the world number one rates the atmosphere as close to the likes of the Crucible and Alexandra Palace.
‘Berlin is probably third place in terms of the crowd interaction and how good the crowds are, especially when you get to that final weekend and how passionate they are,’ Trump told Metro.
‘The crowds in Berlin and the noise when you come into the final is very close to, or on a par with, the Masters.
‘I think those two are out there on their own in terms of how good you feel when you play on the final weekend.’
Trump beat Si Jiahui in the Berlin final last year (Picture: Getty Images)
Trump is a big fan of his annual trip to Germany, but would like to see the event having even more prominence on the calendar given how highly he rates the experience of playing in Berlin.
Players tend to judge how big events are based on prize money and there has been a boost to the prize fund at the German Masters this year, with the winner leaving with £100,000, up from last year’s £80,000.
However, that leaves the event level with the Home Nations and Trump thinks it deserves to be much bigger than the likes of the English Open in Brentwood.
‘I’d like to have seen it grow somehow,’ he said. ‘I think the tournament deserves to be bigger than it is.
‘I don’t think it should be on a par with some of the other events like the Home Nations, although Northern Ireland is the exception.
‘I think Germany should be up there, just behind the UK [Championship], but it’s not really gone anywhere, it’s stagnated a little bit. There should be a few changes to make a bit bigger than it is because the crowd over there deserve it.
‘It’s a little bit disappointing because I feel like they could even hold the Tour Championship or something over there. The crowd deserve something bigger. Its excellent to have a tournament there, but the fans deserve a bigger, more prestigious event.’
Trump is having a fantastic season so far (Picture: Getty Images)
Trump himself has made big changes to his life this season, leaving his Bristol base to split most of his time between Dubai and Hong Kong.
‘My practice tables are getting taken out next week so it’s pretty permanent now,’ he said. ‘My main base will be in Dubai but my girlfriend lives in Hong Kong. I have residence in both Dubai and Hong Kong so I’ll be split between them depending where the tournaments are.
‘It’s very different, completely different from what I’m used to. I’m used to my old life of just going to practice and then sitting at home all night, every day.
‘Now there’s a lot more opportunities to do different things. It’s a more outdoorsy lifestyle, living in those different places, a lot more time after snooker to spend in the sun, or go to the beach or whatever. It’s a bit better and more inspiring than being in the miserable weather for months.’
Trump’s girlfriend is well-known figure skater from Hong Kong Maisy Ma, who he says is understanding of his globe-trotting lifestyle in the public eye.
‘She’s used to being in the limelight herself, she still does TV work,’ he said. ‘It’s a good balance because she knows what I’m going through, I think that helps as well.’
The world number one is having another great season, with big wins at the UK Championship, Saudi Arabia Masters and Shanghai Masters, while he is enjoying his more glamorous lifestyle, making him even more dangerous on the table.
‘When you’re winning it’s a lot easier to be happy,’ he said. ‘When you’re travelling around and you fancy your chances of winning every event, you’re not dreading going to venues. It definitely helps.
‘Where I’m living as well, it makes it easier to accept defeat. It’s easier to travel back to that. You’re in a bit of a bubble for the first few years when you make changes in your life or new things happen, you’re a lot happier when you lose to go home.
‘It couldn’t be going much better and it helps on the table because I’m trying my best but it’s not the end of the world if I do lose. I think that helps me play my best and be more relaxed when I’m out there.’
Judd Trump is absolutely spot on in this interview. The German fans, and, in general, the mainland Europe fans deserve better. He’s also right in stressing how much happiness in your private life helps succeeding in your professional life. Britain, I’m afraid, is not the best place to live in, especially post-Brexit Britain… unless you are very rich probably. I have been traveling to Britain regularly since 2009 and I can see the difference. There is more poverty, more alcoholism and more insecurity now than 15 years ago. But, even without putting the economical aspect into the equation, the weather is a huge factor1. It is well documented how lack of natural light, and sun, during the winter months affects our mood and and general well-being negatively.
It is the same in Belgium as well of course, and in northern Europe in general. That’s why I chose to live in my husband’s country, Greece, and I feel much better for it. ↩︎
