Ronnie O’Sullivan opens up on ‘addictive nature’ ahead of World Championship: ‘As long as I’m clean and sober’

Ronnie O’Sullivan heads to the Crucible chasing a record eighth world title. Ahead of snooker's blue-riband event, the 47-year-old was in reflective mood and has opened up on addiction, the processes he has put in place to ward against it and his continued prioritisation of his mental well-being. Ad The 47-year-old beat Judd Trump 18-13 in the 2022 final that saw him draw alongside Stephen Hendry with a seventh world crown.

World Championship‘As well as I could hit a ball’ – O’Sullivan reveals his greatest Crucible shot of all time4 HOURS AGO O’Sullivan cut an emotional figure after the final and, in an interview ahead of his latest tilt at further burnishing his status as snooker’s GOAT, said the achievement went far beyond winning a title. “If you’d asked me in 1998 or 1999 where I’d be in 24, 25 years, I’d never have said, ‘Winning the World Championship, feeling good, come through whatever you’ve come through’,” began O’Sullivan in an interview with the Sun. “You know, seeing my kids are doing great and they’re growing into little adults.

“If you’d asked me, I’d have said, ‘Nah. There’s no way’. “A lot of the emotion was reflecting back on, ‘OK, I’ve made it’.

And I don’t mean winning a tournament. I mean I’ve made it to 47." O’Sullivan has spoken previously about his struggles with addiction, telling Eurosport’s The Breakdown podcast that the period, which “lasted quite a few years”, was «horrendous». In his latest interview, O’Sullivan spoke on the power of addiction and the processes he has put in place to ward against it.