Ronnie O’Sullivan eyes three more World Championship appearances before stepping away from elite snooker
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Published 02/03/2022 at 13:37 GMT
After his defeat in the final of the European Masters, Ronnie O'Sullivan is back in action at the Welsh Open. It is a big event in its own right, but the focus is starting to shift towards the World Championship and the six-time winner has said he would like to make three more appearances at the Crucible.
Ronnie O'Sullivan
Image credit: Eurosport
Ronnie O’Sullivan has said he would like to play at three more World Championships before stepping away from the top level of the sport.
O’Sullivan has won snooker’s biggest prize on six occasions, and will be among the favourites when the players descend on The Crucible in Sheffield next month.
After going over a year without a title, O’Sullivan got his hands on the World Grand Prix in December and was a beaten finalist in the European Masters at the end of February.
His form has been good in the 2021/22 campaign and he shows no signs of letting up at 46 years of age, but is aware that his level will dip at some stage.
O’Sullivan holds most records in snooker, but still trails Stephen Hendry by one on the list of world titles. It would appear he is giving himself three more chances to draw level with the legendary Scot.
“I think another three World Championships would be good enough for me,” O’Sullivan said on Eurosport prior to his meeting with Lukas Kleckers in the Welsh Open. “To at least get to that point and then after that If I am still enjoying it, I’d play at a lower level somewhere.
“I would then do my exhibitions and travel, as I do like to travel, and I still like to play.”
O’Sullivan has been a lot more selective in the number of events he plays, and he says he would not enjoy the grind of going from tournament to tournament.
“If I was just playing snooker, I wouldn’t be playing but because I do so much other stuff I get so much out of it, I can put up with playing - if that makes sense,” he said.
“If I was like most of the guys on the circuit who put most of their eggs in one basket, and go from tournament to tournament and don’t get a lot out of it, I would find it quite demoralising.
“I just hit balls. I am neither here nor there about it, it is no big deal. That’s probably why you see me not taking defeats too badly.
“I am set up to be no matter what happens, one match, two matches, sixty matches a year it is not going to make any difference to my life.
"If I feel like playing 60 matches I will put the work in. If I don’t, then I am quite happy to have a few early first-round exits.”
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