Ronnie O'Sullivan: I'd be motorsport world champion and challenge Lewis Hamilton if not for snooker
/dnl.eurosport.com/sd/img/placeholder/eurosport_logo_1x1.png){kind=logo}
Published 23/04/2024 at 09:29 GMT
Snooker's world No. 1 Ronnie O'Sullivan is regarded by most fans of the sport as the greatest player of all time, and the 48-year-old continues to attract attention for his continued success at the top of the game. Speaking to Eurosport, O'Sullivan said that had he not taken to snooker, he would have been a world champion in some form of motorsport.
'Absolute nonsense' – McManus and White dismiss Vafaei's claim Crucible 'smells really bad'
Ronnie O’Sullivan believes he would be “a world champion” in motorsport and could challenge Lewis Hamilton had he not been a snooker player.
O’Sullivan is regarded as the greatest cueist of all time and he remains the world No. 1 as the circuit takes in the World Championship.
The 48-year-old may continue to pick and choose which of the events he takes part in but he remains by most judges the most naturally talented player in the game.
This year he has won five tournaments - including the UK Masters - and speaking to Eurosport he was asked what he would be doing had he not discovered snooker.
He said: “I’d probably be challenging Lewis Hamilton, round a Formula 1 track, probably give him a good run for his money as well - because I’m a bit nifty in a car.
"I think I was actually gifted to be a good driver. I’d have definitely been a world champion at some sort of motorsport. I’ve no doubt about that.”
O’Sullivan revealed that a meeting with Ed Sheeran had led him to consider how snooker had turned from a hobby into something of a mixed blessing over the years.
He explained: “I think certain sports - I met Ed Sheeran the other day, what a lovely guy he was - just chatting to him. He’s friends with Damian [Hirst], I met him through Damian’s associates.
"We were just chatting away, he said, ‘I’m doing a bit of art, I need a hobby. Because music is my first hobby.’
“Snooker used to be a hobby for me, but I found it difficult, the pressures and I suppose it’s different because I’ve got to play top quality opposition.
"If Ed Sheeran had to have a sing-off with somebody as good as him every night, maybe it wouldn’t be a hobby.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2024/04/20/3952568-80265073-2560-1440.jpg)
‘The favourite’ - White and McManus discuss O’Sullivan’s World Championship chances
“Going to play Mark [Williams], [Mark] Selby, [John] Higgins, [Judd] Trump, and you’re not at your best, it’s not an appetising thought in a way.
"But if I was at an exhibition in Wales and I wasn’t feeling great, playing players who can make 70-80 breaks you think, ‘tonight’s going to be a good night, I might lose the odd frame because they can all play,’ but it’s a different type of pressure.
"It’s hard as you get older, it’s hard for anybody to be at the top of any sport.”
O’Sullivan’s achievements draw attention every year, but he was asked what was it about him that caused such fascination from some of the public.
“I hope it’s just for the way I play snooker,” he said. “If it’s for my personality, I’m a normal guy, I’m an introvert. I think people think I’ll be quite loud, quite brash, but I’m not that sort of person.
“I think you have to be a strong character to get through what I have had to get through off the table, on the table, being in a competitive sport.
"Lewis Hamilton, Tyson Fury, must have a strong character. Lionel Messi must have a strong character.”
- - -
Stream top snooker action, including the World Snooker Championship, live on discovery+, the Eurosport app and at eurosport.com
Scan me
Related Topics
Share this article
Advertisement
Advertisement