By Elliott West
“TO BE HONEST, I THINK HE CAN PLAY THE GAME UNTIL WHENEVER HE WANTS TO. HE IS THAT GOOD”
Judd Trump
Introduction
Ronnie O’Sullivan has stripped the snooker trophy cabinet bare and has won most of the titles that the sport has available. Now 45, Ronnie has been dubbed with the title of genius, often referred to as the best and most natural player who has ever picked up a cue. However in recent years, his presence has dwindled, now choosing to take a back seat, picking and choosing when to enter tournaments and often pulling out of events at the last minute, as was the case with the recent Championship League and British Open.
A sportsman who never minced his words, O’Sullivan now prefers to spend his time in the company of the Eurosport, painting his close friend, the artist, Damien Hirst or stretching his body with long-distance running. Ronnie has also found love with his girlfriend, the actress, Laila Rouass and enjoys the role of being a father to his three children.
The End of an Era?
It is often banded around amongst journalists and the media of how long Ronnie O’Sullivan has left in snooker? Idle threats have often been made by this player of wanting to quit and he even once said that he wanted to play pool in Las Vegas instead. Ronnie is someone who always doubts himself and never believes how good he is with other players on the tour, in awe of him. Yet everyone has a time limit and O’Sullivan’s can’t be that many years away. You would think he would want to retire gracefully but maybe he will choose to take the path of Fred Davis and carry on into his eighties?
Nothing is certain and Judd Trump believes that Ronnie has another ten years as a professional player, saying that he is clever by being selective with his tournament choices to extend his career. By using this strategy, Judd feels that O’Sullivan doesn’t give his all at once and by stretching it out, leaves snooker fans hungry for more of him.
O’Sullivan is also enshrined in this image of being unbeatable even though he now doesn’t perform as well in all tournaments. This puts massive pressure on any opponent he is drawn to play, partly because they don’t know which Ronnie will show up, with perhaps a surprise win by the counterpart or the desired thumping that has been expected in an O’Sullivan clash.
A Shock Tactic
Ronnie O’Sullivan could be described as having a potty mouth and perhaps too often vocalises to the media the thoughts are buzzing around in his head. Like a petulant child, I think he just likes to cause mischief but his words are too often taken seriously and overanalysed. The way to deal with these outbursts is to take them with a pinch of salt because, at the end of the day, no player is bigger than the game itself. It will carry on long beyond those now participating and will evolve as those at the top of World Snooker choose it to do.
His Legacy
Ronnie will be remembered as one of the best players that snooker has produced but his legacy shouldn’t overshadow those who came before him or those that play now with him. He was the last player to dominate the sport, carrying on the reigns of Ray Reardon, Steve Davis and Stephen Hendry. Perhaps that is why turned to Ray Reardon for advice and carried on a special friendship that still exists? Ronnie is vulnerable but also a great sponge for picking up new skills.
Behind the scenes, he has helped many players including Ding Junhui, at the start of his career. By gaining his trust, you enter a world of a very generous and caring man, someone who respects other peoples’ skills and praises talent. A person who is a shadow of his media self that only credits John Higgins as a great in the sport. What is certain is that Ronnie will continue to be a strong force in snooker, now and beyond whenever he chooses to retire.
