Ronnie O'Sullivan says he is in decline before International Championship - 'There’s not much fun in it at the moment'

ByJonny Bray

Published 11/10/2024 at 21:14 GMT+1

Ronnie O'Sullivan is quite possibly the greatest player snooker has ever seen, but he believes he is not as good a he once was. The seven-time World Championship winner has not competed since the 2024 English Open in September. He has hinted that he could be back soon. The Rocket added that he wants to compete for pleasure rather than to win the top titles.

Ronnie O'Sullivan believes his skills with a snooker cue are waning after over three decades of brilliance.

The 48-year-old did not take part in the 2024 Wuhan Open, having pulled out of the British Open in September shortly before his opening-round clash with Manasawin Phetmalaikul.

O'Sullivan did hint that he could return for the 2024 International Championship in Nanjing, China.

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However, he also cast doubt on his long-term future in the sport, suggesting that he has been in decline for a while.

“If you go by other people, you can see that gradually they lose whatever they had,” he told The Independent. “That’s been happening for quite a while for me.

"The thing that frustrates me is I’m not playing great.

"Once that zip isn’t there, I don’t know, there’s not much fun in it at the moment.

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“I’m enjoying just having time to myself, not having to practice, not having to be away.

"Maybe I’ll play in the next one in November [International Championship].

"I’ll see, if I’m still enjoying not playing, then I won’t play.

"I’ll delay it until I feel like it.”

O'Sullivan has won the World Championship seven times, most recently in 2022.

His latest tournament appearance was at the English Open earlier this year, when he was eliminated in the last 64.

'The Rocket' insists winning or losing does not matter to him, and that he much prefers the enjoyment that comes with playing well.

However, he admitted he wished he was a more "results-driven" player.

“I wish I was a bit more results-driven and win-driven, like Stephen Hendry and Steve Davis,” he added.

“If you’re more like that, then you can go ‘Oh, I won - great.’

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"I think for Hendry especially, it was all about winning.

"They’re different animals.

“But I’m not, I’m much more like ‘Did I play a good game? Did I hit the ball well? Am I enjoying it? Am I feeling the buzz from it?’

"If I’m doing all that, I don’t need to win – you just can’t wait to get your cue out of your case.

"It becomes a bit more feeling-based and emotion-based.

“That’s probably not the best way to be.

"In hindsight, I would have much rather been the other way, but you feel how you feel in your heart.”

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