58 Facts About Ronnie O'Sullivan

Ronald Antonio O'Sullivan was born on 5 December 1975 and is an English professional snooker player.

Ronnie O'Sullivan has won a record eight Masters titles and a record eight UK Championship titles for a total of 23 Triple Crown titles, the most achieved by any player.

Ronnie O'Sullivan holds the record for the most ranking titles, with 41, and has held the top ranking position multiple times.

Ronnie O'Sullivan made his first competitive century break at age 10 and his first competitive maximum break at age 15.

Ronnie O'Sullivan was the first player to achieve 1,000 century breaks in professional competition, a milestone he reached in 2019 and which he has since extended to over 1,200 centuries.

Ronnie O'Sullivan began playing snooker at age 7 and soon became a noted amateur competitor, winning his first club tournament at age 9, making his first competitive century break at age 10, and winning the British Under-16 Championship at age 13.

Between 1996 and 1999, Ronnie O'Sullivan reached three World semi-finals in four years.

Ronnie O'Sullivan won his second UK title later that year at the 1997 UK Championship.

Ronnie O'Sullivan subsequently acknowledged frequent abuse of drugs and alcohol in the early years of his career, which resulted in spells in the Priory Hospital for rehabilitation.

Ronnie O'Sullivan added his second Masters title in 2005, ten years after his first.

Ronnie O'Sullivan's behaviour became notably erratic in the mid-2000s as he battled clinical depression.

In 2007, Ronnie O'Sullivan won his third Masters title and his fourth UK Championship, which was his first ranking title in almost three years.

Ronnie O'Sullivan won two consecutive Masters tournaments in 2016 and 2017 for a record seven Masters titles.

Ronnie O'Sullivan won two consecutive UK Championships in 2017 and 2018 for a record seven UK titles, attaining a total of 19 Triple Crown titles to surpass Hendry's total of 18.

Ronnie O'Sullivan won his 36th ranking title at the 2019 Tour Championship, equalling Hendry's record and attaining the world number one ranking for the first time since May 2010.

Ronnie O'Sullivan surpassed Hendry's record of 70 Crucible wins, setting a new record of 74.

At the 2023 World Snooker Championship, Ronnie O'Sullivan made a record 31st Crucible appearance, surpassing the previous record of 30 by Steve Davis.

Ronnie O'Sullivan made his 200th Crucible century break and his 1,200th century in professional competition during his second-round match against Hossein Vafaei.

Ronnie O'Sullivan became simultaneously the youngest and oldest winner of both the UK Championship and the Masters.

Ronnie O'Sullivan signed a three-year ambassadorial deal with Saudi Arabia, which requires him to play in all World Snooker Tour events staged in that country, to establish a snooker academy in the Middle East, and to contribute to the development of the sport in the region.

Ronnie O'Sullivan is ambidextrous, as he is right-handed but can play to a high standard with his left hand and routinely alternates when needed, enabling him to attempt shots with his left hand that would otherwise require a or.

Ronnie O'Sullivan is highly regarded in snooker, with several of his peers regarding him as the greatest player ever, and some labelling him a "genius".

In 2024, Hendry agreed that there was no longer any question as to whether Ronnie O'Sullivan was the greatest snooker player of all time, calling him an "artist".

However, Ronnie O'Sullivan himself has dismissed the suggestion that he is the greatest player and has identified Hendry as the greatest due to his domination of snooker.

Ronnie O'Sullivan has often been compared with Alex Higgins and Jimmy White for his natural talent and popularity.

In December 2020, Ronnie O'Sullivan was nominated for the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year Award, becoming the first snooker player to receive a nomination since Hendry in 1990.

Ronnie O'Sullivan was nominated for a second time in December 2022.

However, O'Sullivan sometimes lacks confidence or interest, and has performed inconsistently throughout his career, with observers noting the "two Ronnies" aspect of his character.

Ronnie O'Sullivan took issue with increased travel expectations, flat 128 draws that required top professionals to play more rounds against lower-ranked opponents, reduced prize money for maximum breaks, and tournament venues he saw as inadequate.

Ronnie O'Sullivan was critical of the tournament organisers' decision to allow fans into the final during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2021, Ronnie O'Sullivan claimed on a podcast interview that most snooker players had wasted their lives.

Ronnie O'Sullivan called snooker a "bad sport" that can cause "a lot of damage", suggesting that the antisocial nature of solitary practice in a darkened environment can stunt players' personal development.

Ronnie O'Sullivan stated that he would not support his own children if they chose to become snooker players, and said that if he could live his sporting career over again, he would pursue golf or Formula One instead.

Ronnie O'Sullivan frequently appears as a pundit on Eurosport's snooker coverage, alongside Jimmy White and Neal Foulds.

In 2015 and 2016, Ronnie O'Sullivan co-hosted the Midweek Matchzone show with Chris Hood on Brentwood radio station Phoenix FM.

Ronnie O'Sullivan has written three crime novels in collaboration with author Emlyn Rees: Framed, Double Kiss, and The Break.

Ronnie O'Sullivan has co-authored a health and fitness book with nutritionist Rhiannon Lambert entitled Top of Your Game: Eating for Mind and Body.

In October 2023, Ronnie O'Sullivan launched an online snooker course entitled The Rocket Method, where he provides in-depth lessons on the game for a subscription fee.

Ronnie O'Sullivan's mother is originally from Sicily, and O'Sullivan spent childhood holidays in the village near Agrigento where she grew up.

Ronnie O'Sullivan was brought up in the Manor Road area of Chigwell, Essex, where he lived for some years and attended Wanstead High School.

Ronnie O'Sullivan is a first cousin of snooker player Maria Catalano, who has been ranked number one in the women's game.

Ronnie O'Sullivan's mother was sentenced to a year in prison for tax evasion in 1996, leaving O'Sullivan to care for his eight-year-old sister Danielle.

Ronnie O'Sullivan has three children: a daughter named Taylor-Ann was born on 1997 and from a two-year relationship with Sally Magnus, as well as a son and a daughter from a relationship with Jo Langley, whom he met at Narcotics Anonymous.

Ronnie O'Sullivan became a grandfather in October 2018 after Taylor-Ann gave birth to a daughter.

Ronnie O'Sullivan began dating actress Laila Rouass in 2012, and became engaged to her in 2013.

Ronnie O'Sullivan is known for his perfectionism and for being highly self-critical, even in victory.

Ronnie O'Sullivan is a close friend of artist Damien Hirst.

Ronnie O'Sullivan enjoys cooking, and appeared on the BBC's Saturday Kitchen in December 2014 and February 2021.

Ronnie O'Sullivan enjoys motor racing, and has appeared on series 4 of Top Gear.

Ronnie O'Sullivan has espoused an interest in Buddhism, having spent many lunchtimes at the London Buddhist Centre in Bethnal Green.

Ronnie O'Sullivan has said he does not have a firm commitment to any religion.

Ronnie O'Sullivan was made an OBE in the New Year Honours list in 2016, for services to snooker.

Ronnie O'Sullivan has been a supporter of the Labour Party, but in June 2024, he endorsed Faiza Shaheen, the independent candidate for Chingford and Woodford Green, in the 2024 General Election.

Ronnie O'Sullivan's book choice was Running with the Kenyans by Adharanand Finn, his luxury item was a painting set and his favourite disc was "That's All" by Genesis.

On 31 October 2024, Ronnie O'Sullivan obtained Hong Kong residency under the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme.

Ronnie O'Sullivan has completed 15 maximum breaks in professional competition, from his first in the 1997 World Snooker Championship against Mick Price to his 2018 English Open maximum against Allan Taylor.

Ronnie O'Sullivan holds the record for the total number of century breaks, compiling more than 1,200 in professional competition.

Ronnie O'Sullivan scored his 1,200th century in a second-round match against Hossein Vafaei at the 2023 World Snooker Championship.