Masters 2021 snooker: ‘I'd have been happy playing on Big Break!’ – Ronnie O’Sullivan on ambitions

ByMarcus Foley

Updated 15/01/2021 at 23:50 GMT

Ronnie O’Sullivan, winner of six world titles, told Rachel Casey that he would have been content if the highlight of his career was partaking in popular British TV programme Big Break. The Rocket made the claim ahead of his Masters quarter-final against John Higgins at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes.

Ronnie O’Sullivan says that his ambition as a 15-year-old was playing on popular British TV programme Big Break.

The Rocket, a six-time world champion, told Rachel Casey prior to his quarter-final against John Higgins that he doesn’t play snooker for titles, despite his wealth of success that has included seven Masters wins.

“I have never played for titles,” O’Sullivan said.

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“But you reflect sometimes and you look at your numbers and you think, ‘that is pretty cool’. I have managed to stack up some good numbers but I never thought that would have been the case.

“ When I was a kid, I would have been happy just playing in Big Break you know? That was my goal as a 15-year-old, not winning major tournaments.

‘I'd have been happy playing on Big Break!’ – O’Sullivan on career ambitions

The world champion recently said that he wants to continue playing into his 50s and is hoping to create a scaled-back tour for older players not yet ready to drift onto the Seniors Tour.

“I’ve accepted I’ve got another three or four years maximum of playing top-level snooker,” O’Sullivan told the Metro.

“I don’t want to play much longer than that, so the next three years I just want to enjoy with an eye on playing on a tour that is maybe a bit more suited to how much I want to play. So I can compete but I’m not going to be a slave to playing tournament after tournament.”

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The snooker schedule has been relentless in the 2020-21 season, with the Northern Ireland Open, UK Championship, Scottish Open and World Grand Prix played back-to-back at Milton Keynes between November 16 and December 20.

“I can’t play and compete the way it is at the moment, they’re literally playing every day. It is every day. It doesn’t seem like there’s a separation from one tournament to the next,” said O’Sullivan.

I would still like to play into my mid-50s, I still think I could make maximums and play to a very high standard, I don’t think I’m going to be able to compete week-in-week-out, physically you just don’t recover.

“I’ve noticed if I go deep into a tournament now, then for two or three days I’m knackered. I can’t keep up with the younger people, it’s not so much a physical thing, it’s more of a mental and just an age thing.”

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