‘Revolting mediocrity’: Ronnie O’Sullivan ready to quit snooker for pool

Seven-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan has blasted the “revolting mediocrity” in snooker and threatened to quit the game for pool if he is not allowed to play lucrative events in China. 

The sport’s biggest star is at loggerheads with the World Snooker Tour once again over its demands that players turn down bigger paydays in Asia and stay loyal to its tournaments.

It is the latest sign of O’Sullivan’s disaffection with life on tour, with the 47-year-old also deriding the standard and mentality of some of his fellow competitors on the WST circuit.

“I find it hard to put myself in their shoes because I was in their shoes and I didn’t accept top 50 as OK,” he told the BBC.

“I’m not a great lover of mediocrity. I find it quite revolting in some ways, when I see people accepting that. That’s why I don’t hang around snooker people at venues.”

Last month O’Sullivan backed five players who chose to play a £150,000 exhibition event in Macau over the WST’s Northern Ireland Open, where the top prize is £80,000. 

And he says he will call time on more than 30 years in professional snooker if he and others are not given more freedom to take part in big-money events in the Far East.

“If I can’t go and do what I need to do, which is play a lot in China, I won’t ever play again. So, we’re at a kind of crossroads now,” he said.

“If someone’s going to respect me and value me more, why would I not go there? It’s like being in an unhealthy relationship with someone. Why would you be in that?”

O’Sullivan, who shares the record for world titles in the modern era, said he wanted to keep playing snooker into his mid-50s but warned he is ready to switch to Chinese eight-ball pool.

“If that gets to the point where I’m not allowed to do that [play more events in China], I probably won’t play,” he added. 

“I’ll probably go and play Chinese Eight-Ball because I still want to play snooker, I still want a cue in my hand.”

His backing of the five Macau rebels has already worsened the often-strained relations between O’Sullivan and WST chiefs.

“I know that they’re going to throw the book at me,” the Englishman said. “I can’t speak out. I’ve accepted that. So that’s the situation that I’m in. I’m under disciplinary.”

The WST, owned by multi-sport promoter Matchroom, said: “While we are delighted for Ronnie to build his profile in China, and to play in his private exhibition events, our priority is to protect the interests of all players.”