Star pundit reveals lifestyle 'problem' he has with Ronnie O'Sullivan as he questions burning snooker desire

Widely regarded as the sport’s greatest player of all time, O’Sullivan starts his latest bid for a record-extending ninth UK Championship title on Tuesday afternoon against China’s Zhou Yuelong, one of 16 players who emerged from qualifying.

O’Sullivan is the youngest and oldest UK Champion in history, highlighting his incredible longevity within the top echelons.

In 1993, as a 17-year-old, he defeated world number one and world champion Stephen Hendry in the final to become snooker’s youngest-ever ranking event winner - a record he still holds today. Three decades on in 2023, he became the Triple Crown event’s most senior champion of all-time after getting the better of Ding Junhui in the showpiece fixture.

O’Sullivan is set to turn 50 during this latest UK Championship edition. Earlier this year, he relocated to Dubai, partly due to travel reasons linked with his work; he has an academy in Saudi Arabia, residency status in Hong Kong through a talent scheme for elite sportspeople, and does lots of exhibition work across China and the Far East.

‘The Rocket’ - who married Laila Rouass over the summer - has not played competitively in the United Kingdom this season with his five tournament outings this term having come either in China or Saudi Arabia.

In a radio interview a few weeks ago, O’Sullivan discussed his diary plans for the rest of the season, stating that he may skip the Masters in London, but plans to play in the UK, Tour, and World Championships on home soil. It’s important to note with living elsewhere that the Englishman may have visa restrictions on how many days he is allowed to work in the UK.

Pundits McManus and White disagree on O’Sullivan’s current desire

Ahead of Ronnie’s return, major winners Alan McManus and Jimmy White talked on TNT Sports about the seven-time World Champion and how he will fare at the Barbican Centre in York over the coming days.

O’Sullivan is experiencing a prolonged dry spell by his standards, having not won a title on the World Snooker Tour since March 2024 at the World Masters of Snooker (now known as the Riyadh Season Championship), and with his last ranking crown coming a couple of months before that.

However, he did make the semi-finals of the World Championship earlier this year, and was one frame away from winning the big-money Saudi Arabia Masters where he was denied by Neil Robertson in the final. In the match before in Jeddah, O’Sullivan made history by making two 147s within the same match and session against Chris Wakelin.

His last appearance on the baize was at the recent Riyadh Season Championship where he was whitewashed 4-0 by Shaun Murphy in his opening match.

Two-time ranking event winner McManus said: “I'm expecting Ronnie to play okay. Whether we're going to see fireworks, I don't know that.

“The only problem I have with Ronnie - as a snooker fan side of things - I think in this game it has to be a lifestyle choice, and I don't think that Ronnie has that anymore.

“He wants to do other things, we understand that he's 50 in a few days' time, but if you're going to continue to be a superstar of the game ...” the Scotsman was then asked by presenter Rachel Casey whether he felt O’Sullivan’s burning desire isn’t there anymore, to which he replied: “possibly, possibly.”

UK Champion in 1992 and someone who has spent a great deal of time with O’Sullivan down the decades, White joined the conversation to say: “I’m not so sure about that.

“For me, during that World Championships, every round he played, whoever he played didn't play at all against him. We didn’t think for a minute that he was going to win the World Championship...come across against Xintong and got beat quite convincingly in the end, as soon as someone played well against him.

“He must have gone away in the summer, changed his cue because the way he played against Neil Robertson in Saudi Arabia he ended up losing 10-9. For me he's not had the match practice. He's not sharp” to which McManus instantly reiterated: “Lifestyle choice.”

Asked by Casey about O’Sullivan’s priorities, White responded: “Well, yeah, but for me, we wouldn’t be surprised if he come here and won this Championship because he’s that good” to which both Casey and McManus seemed to agree.

Should O’Sullivan get past Zhou in round one, he could face Mark Selby - who is fresh from winning the Champion of Champions - in the last 16.

World number two Kyren Wilson, and last year’s UK runner-up Barry Hawkins are also in the same quarter, whilst John Higgins, Murphy, Gary Wilson, and reigning World Champion Zhao Xintong are placed elsewhere in the same bottom half of the draw.

To view the full draw, results, match schedule, and other information from the 2025 UK Championship, visit here.