Ronnie O’Sullivan retirement theory uncovered after threat to wreck record-breaking plans.
Ronnie O’Sullivan has threatened to quit snooker on several occasions but is still going strong at the age of 48 and is aiming for a record eighth World Championship this year
Ronnie O’Sullivan has threatened to walk away from snooker a few times down the years, but snooker legend Tony Knowles insists the opportunities afforded to the Rocket are why he remains at the table.
O’Sullivan, now 48, remains at the top of his game and is eyeing a remarkable eighth World Championship at the Crucible this year. His quest comes after again threatening to quit last year, claiming he would depart the scene if he couldn’t play in China as much as he wanted, while also stating he might even switch to eight-ball.
Knowles, who used to be world No. 2, had similar thoughts about retiring before he finally stopped playing professionally in the early 2000s. He has compared his own struggles to O’Sullivan’s, which threatened to derail his career and plans to be the greatest of all time, and is one of few who understands the pressures that the Rocket has been through.
“I think Ronnie has done amazing to come back because he went through a bad period,” Knowles told the BBC Frames podcast.
“I fully understand the period that he went through. I think the only reason he’s come out of it and I didn’t is that we didn’t have the matches to play.”
“He’s had a lot of matches to actually recover. Being able to come back and build it back up again. Now he’s got into a position where he’s happy with it. So many times he’s been in a position where he’s wanted to quit. I’ve been through that. Of not feeling right.”
O’Sullivan has fought battles with depression, alcohol and drug abuse during his career, but is undoubtedly at the very top of his game currently. This season he looks to join an elite group of only three men – Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry and Mark Williams – who have all won the three Triple Crown events in one season. Victory at the Crucible will add O’Sullivan’s name to that list, while he will also have the most world titles in modern snooker
