Exclusive -'I don't regard myself as greatest ever' - Ronnie O'Sullivan wants 'others to decide' snooker king

Ronnie O'Sullivan has said he does not regard himself as the greatest player of all time as he believes it is up to others to decide in the snooker GOAT debate. The Rocket will arrive in Sheffield ahead of the World Championship as the world No. 1 after he usurped reigning world champion, Mark Selby, following the Tour Championship in Llandudno, Wales.

Ad/> 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, as he goes to the Crucible looking for a record-equalling seventh world title. World Championship'It's a lot harder to win playing like Federer than Nadal' — Ronnie on GOAT styles, and Messi06/04/2022 AT 09:41 But regardless of whether he goes on to draw level with Stephen Hendry's record of World Championship crowns in a few weeks' time, the 46-year-old would not like to judge for himself who is the greatest player the sport has seen.

«Snooker is not all I do now; it is part of what I do,» O'Sullivan told Eurosport in a wide-ranging interview ahead of the World Championship. «I think if I was coming through snooker now — even in my prime — I still would not like to go through the grind of the tour. »So I just take what I can from it: I take the good bits and try to leave the not-so-good bits out.

I just like to keep the rustiness off and allow the snooker gods to maybe give me a tournament now and again these days. Whereas before, I would win quite a lot [of the tournaments] that I played in. In the last two years, I have not won so much, so maybe there is a sign there that I am not the player I was, even though I still feel like I play okay.