Importance Score: 25 / 100 🔵
Snooker icon Ronnie O’Sullivan, while taking a puff from his cigarette, delivered a surprising caution to aspiring young players, advising them against pursuing a career in professional snooker due to its emotional demands. In a candid interview from his Essex home, the celebrated snooker player, often hailed as the greatest of all time, expressed concerns about the psychological impact of the sport.
O’Sullivan’s Heartfelt Warning: Snooker’s Emotional Toll
“Life is finite, and you should pursue a path that doesn’t excessively burden your emotions,” O’Sullivan stated to Mail Sport, cigarette in hand. He elaborated on the personal cost of snooker, saying, “That’s what snooker has inflicted upon me. I would dissuade anyone I care about from enduring what I have experienced.”
Reflecting on his early passion, O’Sullivan admitted, “Between the ages of 12 and 16, my love for the game was immense. Had that enthusiasm persisted throughout my career, I would wholeheartedly encourage my children to embrace snooker. However, since the age of 17, I’ve faced numerous challenges, and the cumulative effect has been significant.”
Setbacks and Uncertainties
Earlier this year, O’Sullivan withdrew from the prestigious Masters tournament as the defending champion and subsequently missed four additional events citing medical reasons. Despite these setbacks, “The Rocket” has recently resumed practicing, even achieving two maximum breaks – one remarkably in just 6 minutes and 23 seconds – during sessions at his academy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. However, with the World Championship looming just six days away, the seven-time world champion remains undecided about his participation.
vCard.red is a free platform for creating a mobile-friendly digital business cards. You can easily create a vCard and generate a QR code for it, allowing others to scan and save your contact details instantly.
The platform allows you to display contact information, social media links, services, and products all in one shareable link. Optional features include appointment scheduling, WhatsApp-based storefronts, media galleries, and custom design options.
Ronnie O’Sullivan recently returned to practice after a brief hiatus.
O’Sullivan withdrew from the Masters in January, citing ‘burnout’ as defending champion.
The veteran player’s participation in this year’s World Championship remains uncertain just days before the event.
Having competed in every Crucible event since his 1993 debut, O’Sullivan is contemplating breaking this streak. He plans to assess his condition after a final practice session before making a decision. “If my form remains as it is today, my performance won’t be impressive,” confessed the introspective sporting figure during the interview.
Two-Year Window for Rediscovery
Looking ahead, O’Sullivan, who will turn 50 in December, has given himself a two-year timeframe to regain his peak form and rekindle his passion for snooker. “I’m not retiring immediately, but I am allocating myself two years to attempt to resolve this,” revealed the world No. 5, now under the guidance of his longtime associate Gary Filtness.
“I don’t want to conclude my career feeling like I underperformed relative to my capabilities. Trophy wins are secondary; I aspire to simply enjoy the sport again and finish with a sense of satisfaction.”
“The process of self-repair and rediscovering my former playing style is substantial, potentially my final major overhaul as a snooker player,” O’Sullivan explained.
“Realistically, can I achieve it? Probably not, to be honest. It might be too late in my career, and I may be too damaged as a snooker player, bearing the scars of numerous battles over the years. However, I’m unwilling to quit presently, as it would feel like giving up in a weakened state.”
The Breaking Point: Cue and Career Crossroads
The culmination of O’Sullivan’s frustrations occurred in January at the Championship League in Leicester, where he infamously snapped his cue following a defeat to Robert Milkins.
“While I regret the outburst, it was not an impulsive act. It was the culmination of four years of persistent struggle, and I simply reached my limit,” O’Sullivan elaborated. He also mentioned his ongoing search for a replacement cue that feels comfortable.
O’Sullivan’s last World Snooker Championship victory was in 2022, securing his record-equalling seventh title.
At 49, O’Sullivan has participated in the Crucible event every year since his debut in 1993.
“The issue wasn’t losing, but the consistently poor standard of my play. Four years of poor form is extensive, leading to burnout and exhaustion. It has been agonizing. Especially at the season’s start, I developed anxiety towards practicing or even handling my cue.”
“In an attempt to adapt, I experimented with playing left-handed for a month in August, and also adjusted my bridge, resulting in finger injuries. Despite various attempts, I reached a standstill, necessitating a break.”
“It’s not primarily a mental issue but more physical. It’s challenging to articulate. Watching my matches, I could identify flaws, yet couldn’t rectify them. Eventually, I couldn’t even bear to watch myself play due to my dissatisfaction.”
“I believe the root of the problem dates back six years when I began tweaking my technique to gain a marginal increase in consistency, inadvertently worsening my overall game.”
Regrets and Reflections on Technique
O’Sullivan’s regret regarding technical adjustments stretches further back than six years. “My biggest error occurred around 13 or 14, when I attempted to emulate players like James Wattana and Ken Doherty,” O’Sullivan recalled. “They were the most impressive live players I had witnessed, and I mistakenly believed I needed to cue like them.”
“That marked the genesis of my problems. I should have maintained my original style as it was superior to anyone else’s, in my opinion. It was self-developed, fundamentally sound, and natural. I played purely for enjoyment then.”
Longing for the Joy of the Game
Joy has been absent from O’Sullivan’s snooker experience for a considerable period. “I believe the last time I genuinely enjoyed playing was approximately 2018,” he conceded.
In the past, O’Sullivan has utilized running, as chronicled in his autobiography “Running,” to navigate difficult phases, including overcoming addiction and depression. He has recently resumed running, albeit cautiously.
O’Sullivan states his last joyful snooker experience was around 2018.
He has given himself two years to attempt to rediscover his form and passion for the sport.
“I restarted running a couple of days ago, but only for 12 minutes,” he mentioned. “That is my current limit due to inactivity since mid-December.”
O’Sullivan’s current hiatus from snooker is his longest since the 2012-13 season. During that sabbatical, he engaged in volunteer work at an Epping Forest farm for three days weekly, tending to animals and cleaning enclosures.
“It was refreshing to interact with diverse individuals committed to community contribution,” the TNT Sports commentator remembered. “They were indifferent to my fame; their priority was work ethic.”
Remarkably, O’Sullivan returned to the Crucible in April 2013, successfully defending his world title. Could he replicate such a triumphant comeback this year, securing an unprecedented eighth world championship and surpassing Stephen Hendry’s record?
“No,” was his immediate response. “My current perspective is that simply winning a single match at Sheffield would be a positive outcome. Securing even one victory would be a cause for significant satisfaction.”