Ronnie O'Sullivan in retirement U-turn as snooker icon reveals how long he plans to keep playing
Veteran snooker ace Ronnie O'Sullivan has revealed that he wants to keep playing for another decade.
The 49-year-old seven-time world champion had previously said his time at snooker's top table was 'finished' but now has his hunger back, and says he's enjoying his snooker as much as he did as a teenager just starting out - as he targets glory in Saudi Arabia this week. The Rocket, who will face old foe John Higgins at The Masters in January, says that he rediscovered his boyhood enjoyment of the game after joining forces with Mark Williams’ coach Lee Walker.
O’Sullivan’s trophy-laden CV boasts the biggest records in the sport with most Triple Crown majors (23), most ranking titles (41), most century breaks (approaching 1,300) and most maximum 147s (15). The world number four is among the game’s biggest stars who are chasing the $1million bonus for the first ever Golden Ball 167 break at this week’s Riyadh Season Snooker Championship.
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And O'Sullivan, who kicks off his title defence on December 19, insisted: “I wouldn’t say it’s the end, I definitely wouldn’t say it’s the end. I’m definitely going to keep playing. The last time I enjoyed playing snooker like I have done the last couple of months was when I was 14, I’ll be honest with you.
"The start of this season and the whole of last season I would say it’s probably about a four out of ten, really bad. Probably as bad as it’s ever been. But I played what I felt wasn’t great and won five tournaments last season. 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.
“I remember going back to when I worked with Steve Peters, I didn’t really do much for two years, I was ready to retire, 2009-10, didn’t win the tournament, then I worked with Steve Peters and for a year I was cueing great, didn’t win a tournament and I was like ‘what’s going on here? Then I managed to win in Germany. I didn’t play great and I won when I’ve been playing great all year and couldn’t get past the quarter-finals.
“All of a sudden I go to the 2012 World Championship, play as good as I’ve ever played and won it very convincingly. I never panic, I never worry, I’m not worried.”
Williams credits working with close pal Walker as the catalyst behind him winning a first world title in 15 years in 2018, and O’Sullivan added: “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 travelling, playing, going to China, Saudi Arabia, the tournaments I’m playing in the UK, 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.”
O’Sullivan was speaking from his brand new academy in Saudi Arabia, which was opened by the country after he won the last Golden Ball event. Asked if he would like a similar set up on home shores, the Rocket said: “Yeah I’d love to! Obviously this is financed by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia so that makes it a lot easier. If you have to fund it yourself it’s not easy. You’ve got rent, tables, staff.
“On snooker player’s prize money I’d end up skint, going bankrupt. Listen, if there’s an appetite for it in the UK and they can do some sort of crowdfunding to support snooker then that would be great. I wouldn’t fancy putting my own money in, though, I’d be skint.”
