RONNIE O’SULLIVAN claims he never switches off from “evil”; snooker, joking: It’s a killer of a sport.
And the sport’s greatest ever player reckons he would have loved being a Premier League footballer because they always look like they are having FUN.
, 49, faces qualifier Pang Junxu on Saturday in a three-session round one clash at the
Throughout his historic career, O’Sullivan has had a complicated history and relationship with the game, and his mental health battles are well-documented.
In a year in which he has an excellent chance of winning a record eighth Crucible crown, the Essex potter needs to keep his mind and temperament in check to negotiate this marathon event.
He managed to do that during his , in which he scored four centuries, but between sessions, the old anxiety demons reurned.
O’Sullivan, speaking to former Scottish footballer on , said: “I really enjoy being out there playing, and I love doing a bit of TV work with the lads.
“It just breaks it up a bit. But during my last match, I felt a bit edgy. While I was playing it was fine.
“I went home and then I thought: ‘Oh, the anxiety is kicking off.’
“The next day, I felt a lot better and calmer. It’s a killer of a sport! A horrible sport. It’s evil!”;
O’Sullivan, looking to win a record-extending 80th match at the Crucible, is playing in this tournament having skipped five ranking events in 2025 on ‘medical grounds’.
The former world No.1, who snapped his cue in anger in January, said: “I can’t switch off, no.
“It’s with you all the time. Even when I’m at home practicing.
“If I’ve had a dodgy day, I go home and I’m sitting there and I’m like quiet, moody.
“Sort of like in my own head and the missus is looking at me, thinking, ‘come on, liven up’.
“I say snooker’s like with balls. It’s one of them sports.
“You see chess players. There’s a lot going on in their heads. But with footballers, you just have a laugh and a joke.
“I envy it. I wish I could have been a footballer. They look like you’re having a great time!”;
