'Roger Federer is an artist, Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic are machines' - Ronnie O'Sullivan on GOATs, and Messi

ByDan Quarrell

Updated 07/04/2022 at 11:30 GMT

Ronnie O'Sullivan does not believe it is at all easy to play snooker the way he does and win titles, which makes it all the more remarkable that he has six World Championship crowns to his name. The snooker superstar used Lionel Messi in football and Roger Federer in tennis to make his point about legends of different sports having to produce while also entertaining fans with their brands of play.

Snooker legend Ronnie O'Sullivan has compared himself to Lionel Messi and Roger Federer while saying that playing the way he does makes it harder to succeed.

The 46-year-old, who last triumphed at the Crucible in 2020, has always thrilled and entertained fans with his dashing style of play and propensity to take huge risks at key stages of matches.

Having won six World Championship titles despite refusing to err from the brand of snooker that has garnered so many dedicated fans makes his achievements all the more remarkable, as he has noted.

World Championship

Allen confirmed as new world No. 1 after O'Sullivan and Trump crash out at Crucible

02/05/2024 at 06:15

O'Sullivan has used the examples of fellow sporting heroes Messi and Federer to make the point that playing in a flamboyant and attractive way can be successful at the very highest level, albeit doing so does perhaps risk making it harder to achieve consistent glory.

"I have played a brand of snooker that is very difficult to play as an individual sportsman," O'Sullivan told Eurosport in an interview ahead of the World Championship.

"Jimmy White played that brand and maybe it cost him winning the World Championship. I was able to stay true to that style of snooker and still win it six times. It is not easy.

"For someone like Lionel Messi, playing in a football team, I suppose he is just told to do what he is good at and they have other people covering for him where maybe he doesn't want to run around and chase the ball.

• Exclusive - 'He's a better player than me' - O'Sullivan hails 'unbelievable talent'

'There's no excuses' - O'Sullivan not buying break talk and questions mindsets

"A little bit like Federer in tennis. Who is the greatest of all time? Statistically, you would say Nadal, but the way he did it, a lot of people would say Federer is the greatest of all time. So it depends on how you want to judge it, I suppose.

"It is a lot harder to win tournaments playing Federer's style than Nadal. Nadal will break you down. Djokovic will break you down. They are like machines, but Federer is a bit of an artist.

"So playing that style in an individual sport is going to leave you open to being picked off or maybe worn down in many situations.

Looking ahead to the World Championship, O'Sullivan said it becomes harder and harder to succeed "because you carry that tag on your back" after having achieved so much success in the sport with other players desperate to claim a famous upset win.

"I think it is harder for me because obviously my past, my history in the game makes every match feel like a final to a lot of people who play me. So I have that to deal with, I suppose. Whereas a lot of the other players can slip under the radar a bit.

"But I've embraced that and found that that is what happens, you know. You have to deal with that, so it is probably a bit harder for me now to win tournaments because you carry that tag on your back, if you like."

In the same interview, O'Sullivan lauded the "unbelievable talent" of rising star Zhao Xintong, who he said, "is amazing to watch".

'Wow, that is unbelievable' - O'Sullivan says Trump's cue action has made him the player he is

The Rocket has been practising with the 25-year-old, although he has been clear to state that "I can't coach him". Perhaps surprisingly, he declared that "he is a better player than me; he is a better potter than me".

O'Sullivan will arrive in Sheffield as the world No. 1 after he usurped reigning world champion Mark Selby following the Tour Championship in Llandudno, Wales.

He will be in the other half of the draw to Selby, as he will go into the World Championship as the No. 2 seed having suffered a poor run of form so far this year.

It is the fifth occasion in O’Sullivan’s illustrious career that he has occupied the world No. 1 ranking and the first time since 2019.

It will be the 46th consecutive year the World Championship has been held in Sheffield, and it will be the 16th and final ranking event of the 2021–22 snooker season.

The main event begins on April 16 with the final taking place on May 2.

- - -

Stream the 2022 World Championship and more top snooker action live and on-demand on discovery+

World Championship

'Loving every second of it' - Bingham on battle with 'best player ever' O'Sullivan

01/05/2024 at 21:59

World Championship

O'Sullivan: Some of the referees 'have got it in for me'

01/05/2024 at 18:53

World Championship

O'Sullivan crashes out as Bingham produces latest Crucible shock

01/05/2024 at 21:53