Ronnie O'Sullivan rekindles love for snooker, recalls age 14

Posted : 19 December 2024

Ronnie O'Sullivan is enjoying snooker again, despite his recent lack of success in ranking events. The seven-time world champion has not won a title this season, with his dry spell continuing. He has missed some key tournaments, such as the Northern Ireland Open, Wuhan Open, and Scottish Open, but he remains enthusiastic about the sport. O'Sullivan admits that he is "loving the game again," and is focused on retaining his tour status. His goal now is to continue enjoying snooker and to eventually see better results on the table.

Although O'Sullivan won five titles last year, he has yet to reach a final this season. He has struggled to build momentum, being knocked out early in the English Open, Champion of Champions, and UK Championship, as well as being eliminated in the second round of the International Championship. Despite these setbacks, O'Sullivan claims that he is enjoying the game more than he has in the past 35 years. Reflecting on his experiences, he recalls that the last time he felt this way was when he was 14 years old.

O'Sullivan has admitted that his performance in the past year, despite his five tournament wins, was far from ideal. He rated his play as low as a 3 or 4 out of 10, admitting that it wasn’t great but still managed to secure victories. However, he also noticed a shift in his game. After taking a couple of months off to reflect, O'Sullivan returned to playing with more enjoyment, although he realized that he had been too "open" in his approach. He has been working on tightening up his game, aiming to reduce the number of easy chances he gives his opponents.

Despite his struggles this year, O'Sullivan remains calm and focused on his long-term approach. He emphasized that as long as he applies himself and gets the right breaks, success will follow. The world No. 3 is not worried about his current form, recognizing that he is near the end of his career and is enjoying his time on the tour. He doesn’t panic or fret about the results but rather remains focused on the overall experience of playing snooker.

At 49, O'Sullivan has had moments of considering retirement, but those thoughts now seem distant. Instead, he has set a new goal for himself: to stay on the tour for as long as possible while continuing to enjoy the sport. He is working with coach Lee Walker, who has helped other world champions, and is focused on maintaining his passion for the game. O'Sullivan admits that even if he doesn’t achieve many results in the coming years, he would be content as long as he enjoys his time on the tour.

O'Sullivan’s goal for the next decade is clear. He wants to remain on the tour and continue playing snooker, focusing on the enjoyment the game brings rather than the pressure of winning titles. He feels that, although he has nothing left to prove, he still has a lot to enjoy from snooker. The sport has brought him great success, but now his priority is to savor the experience for as long as possible.

As O'Sullivan prepares to return to action at the Riyadh Snooker Championship, his focus is on the journey rather than the outcome. He is still eager to compete and is ready to face Ding Junhui. The future may hold both challenges and rewards, but for O'Sullivan, the most important thing is that he is enjoying the game he loves.

Ronnie O'Sullivan rekindles love for snooker, recalls age 14

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