Despite Ronnie O’Sullivan’s repeated threats to quit the game, snooker great Tony Knowles maintains that the Rocket’s prospects are
the reason he stays at the table.
At the peak of his abilities, O’Sullivan, 48, is targeting a historic seventh World Championship at the Crucible this year. His quest
follows his previous year when he once more threatened to give up, saying he would leave the scene if he couldn’t play as much as he
wanted in China and that he might even move to eight-ball.
When Knowles, a former world No. 2 player, eventually decided to stop competing professionally in the early 2000s, he had similar
doubts about retirement. Being one of the few who comprehends the challenges that the Rocket has faced, he has drawn comparisons
between his own troubles and O’Sullivan’s, which threatened to destroy his career and dreams to be the best of all time.
Knowles told the BBC Frames podcast, “I think Ronnie has done amazing to come back because he went through a bad period.”
“I am completely aware of the time he experienced. I believe that we didn’t have the matches to play, which is the only reason he
survived and I didn’t.”
“He needs to genuinely recover from a lot of contests. having the ability to return and rebuild it. He’s now at a place where he’s content
with it. He’s been in situations where he’s wanted to give up so many times. I’ve experienced that. of feeling uneasy.”
Throughout his career, O’Sullivan has battled depression, alcoholism, and drug misuse, but he is unquestionably at the top of his game
right now. He hopes to join an exclusive group this season that consists of just three men: Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry, and
Furthermore, knowing how difficult O’Sullivan’s journey was, Knowles finds O’Sullivan’s achievement even more remarkable.
“I don’t think people appreciate the actual pressure it puts you under when there is a general public out there,” Knowles said. There
are those who are really kind and some who aren’t. All you can do is accept it by standing there.
I can thus relate to Ronnie and have some conversations with him. I don’t believe they are aware of the amount.”
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