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…
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
…
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.
When snooker’s greatest ever player eventually decides to put his cue away for good, his legacy will not just be his record number of titles and his unique relationship with fans worldwide, but also his willingness to pass on his knowledge and experience to younger players.
In recent years, Ronnie O’Sullivan has been generous with his time and willingness to offer advice to players who have asked him to help fulfill their talent.
Judd Trump benefited from O’Sullivan’s influence when they worked together in Romford during the early years of the younger man’s career. During their emotional embrace at the end of the 2022 World Championship final, Trump told the newly-crowned seven-time Crucible king: “Thank you for letting me practise with you. You took your time out for me and I really appreciate that. You’ve always taken care of me. The dedication, everything that you’ve put in, you deserve everything.”
In October this year, O’Sullivan was in Riyadh to open the new Ronnie O’Sullivan Snooker Academy, where he will play a role in nurturing the best young talent from Saudi Arabia. Ahead of that launch, we asked the 49-year-old about his coaching philosophy and his lifelong emphasis on hard work.
Ronnie, how exciting is it to be involved with the new academy in Riyadh?
It’s great to be part of it and to see what the development is like, and to help nurture the talent. Nigel Bond will be the head coach and he is perfect for that job. It won’t be easy for the local players to get to the standard of tour players, but if someone has the talent and the willingness then it can be done. Academies are so important in any sport, you can see that in Kenya for running, the USA for golf and tennis or football in France where the likes of Thierry Henry and Kylian Mbappe came through. It’s about being in the right environment with access to the best coaching as well as advice and nutrition.
How important is it for young snooker players to be coached from an early age?
Some players are blessed, like John Higgins. From the minute they pick up the cue, they are natural. Others need guidance. I don’t believe in over-coaching, because instinct is important. You have to allow a player to grow his own game and let his personality come through. But you do need someone to keep you on the right track.
How much coaching did you have when you started playing?
I didn’t have a coach but I watched a lot of Steve Davis videos and you can learn a lot from that. Not everyone can be a Jimmy White or Stephen Hendry, but anyone can be like Davis, John Higgins or me. If you can learn good fundamentals and get them right, you can become very consistent because it’s a repetitive sport. You can’t follow anyone better than Davis, no one comes anyone near him for doing all the right things. He didn’t coach me personally, but I watched everything he did. His tempo, the way he hit the ball, the way he played safe, his ability to keep still on every shot…he was incredible.
During your career you have often worked with coaches, notably Frank Adamson and Ray Reardon. Have you always wanted to learn more?
Everyone in every sport has to learn. People say I’m gifted, but I wasn’t the most gifted junior or amateur. I always had to work hard at my game. I was never a good safety player or potter, or not as good as some of the others who were playing at the time. I was always good at scoring, that was my thing. But I had to learn the other stuff. I didn’t have a good temperament, I still don’t deal with bad spells that well.
When you said you don’t believe in over coaching, do you mean that you have to give a player space to make the most of natural flair?
Yes. As a junior I saw very natural payers going to certain coaches and then become stiff and methodical, losing the ability to play at a high pace. Steady, slow and methodical doesn’t often get you anywhere. It might win you a few matches, but if you want to be a real winner you have to play at speed, in any sport. You have to be clinical, but speed is a big weapon. You can’t over-think this game. To play as quickly as you can without being careless is the goal.
In the latter part of your career, you’ve been generous with younger players and willing to give advice. Do you enjoy helping them?
If someone asks you for help it’s hard to say no. Victoria, who runs one of the academies in Sheffield, is passionate about her players and wanted them to do well. She asked me, and I always want to help if I can. I don’t see at as giving secrets away because there is no secret really, it’s just hard work and determination. It’s nice to try to pass on knowledge in any sport. In athletics, the Kenyan runners don’t keep it to themselves, they see sharing as a good thing.
Judd Trump is one such player you helped. When you first saw him play, did you see something of yourself in him?
He has amazing talent, he didn’t need to learn from me. But being in that environment when we practised at the same club in Romford helped him because he saw how hard I worked. A lot of people think it’s just talent, but if you ask players who have spent time with me, they are surprised at how dedicated I am and how seriously I take practice. When I was young I saw Stephen Hendry practise and realised he was the hardest worker on the tour. It’s true in any sport. That’s why they are the best, because they are willing to put the work in.
How much satisfaction does it give you when you see an improvement in a player you have given guidance to?
There was a player who is super talented and he’d had some success. He asked if I could help him. I had watched a few of his games and had the feeling that something wasn’t quite right but I couldn’t put my finger on it. We got on the practice table and I showed him a few things and he said he understood it. It was nice to see him develop as a player, that was a good feeling.
In your book Unbreakable you describe your obsession with practice and the technical side of the game. Have you always had that fascination?
I never used to as a kid, that was my biggest downfall, it held me back and made my career tougher than it needed to be. I got into bad habits when I was 16 or 17 and it got worse and worse That’s why I had to go and see Frank Adamson. I knew I wasn’t going to win the World Championship, I was good one day, terrible next, when in this game you need consistency. Frank had to deconstruct my game, take it apart. Within the first year I managed to win the world title – not by playing better, but just by being a bit more consistent.
So much for those who say Ronnie doesn’t care about his sport and its future. He’s not Mr Perfect. He has his ups and downs, violent mood swings that, at times, are difficult to cope with. But over the last 32 years and a half, he has given plenty to the sport, countless magical moments and even more talking points. He’s kept snooker in the news. It was not always for the good reasons but nothing is worse for a sport than to be “invisible”. And he has been giving to his sport away from the spotlights as well. He’s been helping other players, talented youth he certainly knew could become dangerous rivals. Judd Trump is the prime example.
Yes, he has set limits. Yes, he has done it his own way … but if you are in his position and you try to please everyone you will soon find it impossible and overwhelming. So many people want a piece of him at events, and even away from events … sponsors, media, aspiring players, fans … you name it.
It’s nice to see WST giving recognition to that side of him.
Ronnie O’Sullivan reveals new goal after rediscovering snooker enjoyment
Phil Haigh
Ronnie O’Sullivan hopes to keep playing for another 10 years as he says he is enjoying snooker more now than he ever has as a professional.
It has not been a great season so far in terms of results for the Rocket, without a final appearance yet and he has just suffered back-to-back first round exits at the Champion of Champions and UK Championship.
The 49-year-old is still number three in the world rankings after winning two big ranking events last season, so it is not disastrous and he says he has rediscovered some enjoyment in his game over the last few weeks.
Despite winning five tournaments in total last season, O’Sullivan cut a frustrated figure, dissatisfied with how he was playing.
Since working with coach Lee Walker he now feels like he is returning towards his best form and, although the results have not come yet, he is confident they will.
‘The last time I enjoyed playing snooker like I have done the last couple of months was when I was 14,’ said O’Sullivan. ‘I’m actually loving playing.
‘It’s quite weird, I played awful last year and pretty terrible at the start of the year, but I’ve won five tournaments last year, but just not enjoyed playing. Then I took a couple of months off, figured out a couple of things about the game and really enjoying it, loving the game.
‘The last three tournaments I’ve played pretty well, maybe just a little bit too open. I’ve realised that and I’ve worked the last few weeks on trying to tighten up a little bit, trying not to leave so many easy chances.’
Asked how he rated his game in recent times, the seven-time world champion reckoned he had really hit a low.
‘The start of this season and the whole of last season I would say it’s probably about 4 [out of 10]. Really bad. 3? Probably as bad as its ever been.
‘But I played what I felt wasn’t great and won five tournaments. Then I start to play great and can’t win a match. Maybe I’m better off playing terrible if I want to get results.
‘To be honest I always play the long game. My game’s in good shape. As long as I apply myself, little bit of run of the ball, a couple of opponents don’t play so well against you, get on a run, win the tournament, then before you know it you’re back in a good spot.
‘I never panic, I never worry. I’m not really bothered either. If I was bothered I might be worried. I’m not bothered, I know I’m on the back end of my career so it’s less important now. I’m just enjoying it.’
O’Sullivan has flirted with retirement for years, but he says it is now a long way from his mind and intends to keep playing for another decade.
O’Sullivan expects to get on a run again soon (Picture: Getty Images)
Still the sport’s biggest attraction and with business interests and opportunities in Asia and the Middle East, O’Sullivan doesn’t want to see his star power wane.
‘I’ve set a new goal. If I can just stay on the tour – even if I fell off the tour they’d probably give me a wildcard – but I’m enjoying everything about snooker.
‘I just said to Lee Walker, who I’ve been working with, just keep me going for 10 years, keep me enjoying it for 10 years. If I can enjoy it and not get many results I’ll take that, because I’ve had a lot of good results over my career.
‘I don’t have anything to prove, but I definitely don’t want to miss out on the next 10 years because things are quite exciting for me off the table more than it is on the table.
‘It’s a good combination I’ve got at the moment. I still like getting my cue out, people still like to see me play and I still like to think I can put in some good performances, but who knows? Maybe I won’t.’
I suppose that’s the article Mark saw a few days ago. It’s a nice change from the depressed doom and gloom that so often engulfed him. Long may it last. It’s not what us, fans want to see, but we have to be realistic. He’s in his 50th year, he’s given us a lot to enjoy for over 30 years. He deserves “me time”, we shouldn’t be greedy 💖.
Ronnie O’Sullivan ‘can’t be bothered’ playing UK snooker events
By Tom Parsons
Ronnie O’Sullivan has spoken out on his lack of desire to play at some snooker events.
Ronnie O’Sullivan has admitted he ‘can’t be bothered’ to attend some UK snooker events (Image: GETTY)
Ronnie O’Sullivan has admitted he “can’t be bothered” to travel long distances to play at some UK snooker events and has conceded that he would prefer to stay at home instead.
The 49-year-old pulled out of the Scottish Open in Edinburgh earlier this month before travelling to Saudi Arabia to compete in the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship.
The Rocket thrashed Ding Junhui 4-0 in his opening match in the Middle East as he took just 49 minutes to complete the rout.
But he missed out on the opportunity to land the £250,000 winning prize pot after being dispatched by eventual champion Mark Allen in the semi-finals.
O’Sullivan has been critical of a number of the UK venues he has had to visit in the past, with some snooker tournaments taking place at leisure centres across the country.
And the seven-time world champion said: “I’m not being harsh, it’s really difficult when you go to a leisure centre.
“You’ve got 50 to 100 people all standing outside. You’ve got to get through that, play a best of seven frames. Then you’re not sure when you’re going to be on. They say you could be on at 8.30pm but you get on at 11pm.
Ronnie O’Sullivan was dumped out of the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship by Mark Allen in the week (Image: GETTY)
“It’s a nine-hour journey from my house [in Essex] to Edinburgh. You weigh it all up and think you can’t be bothered. Ten to 15 years ago I’d probably have been fine, but I can’t play every tournament or every week.”
O’Sullivan then admitted he will limit his appearances at tournaments as he added: “I’ll try and play a minimum of 10 and I’ll pick the best 10 to play in.
“After that, if I feel like I need to play in a few more I will. I still want to play snooker but I want to spend time at home as well.
“I enjoy practising at home, going down the club, spending time with friends. I love being on the road as well. But it’s about getting that practice.
“In Saudi Arabia, the events we’ve had there, it’s been brilliant. Food, dressing rooms, shower rooms, loads of practice tables, courtesy cards, it was amazing. Same in China. With these tournaments they have 8 to 10 practice tables.
“Some of the events in the UK, there are 3 to 4 practice tables in a leisure centre, it’s not the easiest. They have bigger budgets in China and Saudi Arabia. Maybe in the UK not so much. They do the best they can with what they’ve got. It is what it is.”
I think it’s a normal evolution in life. As we are getting older, we want, and need, more comfort, more “me time”. Ronnie, more than any other player faces huge demands from the fans wherever he goes. I have witnessed him getting out of the Crucible, very downbeat and disappointed after losing and being met by dozens of fans wanting him to stop for a chat or an autograph. That’s not right. Those players have feelings, usually right after a defeat they only want one thing: they want left alone. For young players all this is new and exciting. For many older players, snooker is a mainly job and if they are not able to do it in a good environment – good conditions and respect of their privacy – it often becomes a burden.
Yesterday was a rather disappointing day for me as a Belgian. Indeed Julien Leclercq was in action and, after a decent start in the first session of the day, he really struggled in the second session and finished last of his group. I was even more disappointing because Julien had been interviewed by WST ahead of his return to action and appeared to be in an excellent frame of mind.
JULIEN LECLERCQ Q&A
On the cusp of his third season as a pro, Belgium’s 21-year-old Julien Leclercq reflects on what he has learned from his first two years on the tour, and looks ahead to the coming campaign.
Julien, how much are you looking forward to the new season? I’m very excited, I haven’t played a match since the World Championship qualifiers in April so I want to get started again. I only had a few days rest and then I was practising again.
How do you reflect on your results and performances last season? I got nervous towards the end because my tour card wasn’t safe. Going into the world qualifiers I had to win my first match against Haydon Pinhey otherwise I would have been going to Q School. I didn’t play well but I won 10-3 so that took a lot of pressure off. Next time I don’t want to be in that position again. My goal for the first part of the new season is to get well up into the top 64 so I am not risking dropping off the tour at the end of the season.
Still, to keep your tour card after your first two seasons is a good achievement. What have you learned? Yes I am happy just to keep my card. I have learned so much. Mainly about life on tour in terms of travelling to events. It is not easy, living in Belgium and going to the UK or other countries for every tournament. Things like arranging travel by train and booking the right hotels close to the venues, that takes time to learn everything, and I do it all myself, or sometimes my girlfriend Chloe helps me. I know a lot more about that now, so next season I won’t need four hours of searching online just to find the right hotel! That will take away some stress. In terms of my game, I have had to get better at safety. When I turned pro, my safety wasn’t great. But on the tour, if you can’t play safety you will be killed. The other thing I have tried to learn is to accept defeat. It’s hard when you lose. But there is no point getting angry or frustrated. Staying positive on the mental side is so important.
What was your best moment last season? Winning that first qualifying match in the world qualifiers because after that I knew I would probably stay on tour. My uncle Joel came to watch – he has been to a few tournaments, he absolutely loves snooker and it is great to have him in the crowd.
…and the worst? In the qualifying round for the International Championship, I was 5-5 with Si Jiahui and in the last frame I was 56-0 ahead but he cleared up with 68. That was painful because I want to qualify for more events in China. I played there three times as an amateur but I am yet to play in a pro tournament there.
Ben Mertens joined the tour at the same time as you, how much has that helped both of you over the first two years? He is my best friend and we have been playing snooker together since we were nine years old. He only lives 20 minutes away so we practise together a lot. There has never been any jealousy, we are always happy for each other’s success. We are going through some of the same experiences on tour so it really helps to have someone to speak to. And when we have time off we play video games like Call of Duty, but I always win, he’s a very bad gamer!
Have you thought about moving to the UK? When I first turned pro I considered it, but then I decided to stay in Belgium. I have Chloe there – she is studying psychology at university – as well as my friends and family, it’s more important to me to be close to them. People might think I would learn more by practising with other players in the UK, but I learn most by playing matches. And I often watch my matches again on video and try to work on the mistakes I made.
During your first season you reached the final of the Shoot Out, did that give you a taste for the big occasion? Yes – every player on tour wants to be in the big finals. Also I want to do well to help inspire more young players from Belgium.
What’s the best venue you have played at? The Tempodrom in Berlin. You are so close to the crowd, it’s an amazing atmosphere.
Finally, what’s the best thing about being a snooker player? The chance to travel the world and share some of those experiences with my family. And to play snooker on live TV – that’s what I always dreamed about. I can’t complain about anything.
In the tightest group yet at this week’s BetVictor Championship League, Jackson Page scored a superb late win over Robert Milkins to book his place in the second stage.
The first four matches in Group 10 were all drawn 2-2, leaving it in the balance heading into the concluding ties. Andrew Higginson scored a 3-1 win over Iulian Boiko and he looked favourite, particularly with a high break of 121 earlier in the day. But Page then came from 1-0 down to beat Milkins 3-1, and his break of 127 in the second frame edged him ahead of Higginson and secured his progress.
Success for the 22-year-old means that a Welsh player has topped a group every day this week, as Page follows Ryan Day, Mark Williams, Matthew Stevens and Michael White into the next phase.
Thepchaiya Un-Nooh topped Group 32 in another close finish, edging out Daniel Wells. Thailand’s Un-Nooh opened with a 3-1 win over Mark Joyce, then made breaks of 106 and 104 in a 3-0 defeat of Julien Leclercq.
Wells drew 2-2 with Leclercq and beat Joyce 3-1, so could have won the group with victory in his final match against Un-Nooh, and he started well with a break of 91 to take the opening frame. But Un-Nooh hit back to take the next two, and eventually progressed with a 2-2 draw.
Group 10 really delivered. There was no dead match and the group winner was literally decided by the second and last frames of last match on the day. Jackson needed to win, from 1-0 down, AND to make ea break of 122 or more. He managed both! Andrew Higginson must have felt sick.
