Ronnie O’Sullivan ‘just not a very good player anymore’

Ronnie O’Sullivan’s struggle for results goes on and his confidence is clearly damaged as he claims: ‘I’m just not a very good player anymore.’

The Rocket was beaten 5-3 by Xiao Guodong in the last 16 of the World Grand Prix in Hong Kong on Thursday, meaning his ranking title drought will continue.

The 50-year-old last won a ranking tournament in January 2024 and recently he has been falling very early in his attempts to end his wait for more success.

In his last four tournaments, O’Sullivan has won just two matches, beating Long Zehuang in the opening round of the German Masters and downing Joe O’Connor in Hong Kong before losing to Xiao.

After his 5-3 win over O’Connor, the Rocket addressed his poor form, suggesting it was not to do with playing a reduced schedule, but more because he feels his powers have waned.

‘It’s just my bad is a lot badder than it used to be, and my good is not as good,’ O’Sullivan told the South China Morning Post.

‘There was no rustiness, I felt relaxed … I’m just not a very good player anymore.’

He added: ‘Deep down, I enjoy playing. I have to accept [I’m not as good as I was] and find a way to keep playing without it driving me crazy.

‘I have to manage my frustrations, and hope the snooker gods will be kind and put me to rest when they decide the time is right.’

The Rocket feels he can have close matches and even win when he’s struggling, because opponents play poorly when he does.

‘I have this ability to make people play badly,’ he said. ‘If I’m bad, they’re waiting for me to play well, but sometimes I don’t.’

O’Sullivan has skipped a number of events this season, but the Grand Prix was his eighth tournament of the campaign, so he has still been seen fairly regularly.

He says that he is less motivated to play because he prefers to spend time with his children, explaining: ‘All the times I don’t play, it’s because they’re on holiday and I get to see them.

‘I’ve had my career, I just want to keep playing and enjoy moments with them. I’m sure I’d get wild cards if I fell out of the top 32.’

The victory for Xiao was his first over O’Sullivan in a full ranking event at the fifth attempt, continuing a trend of the Rocket losing to opponents who have really poor records against him.

The 36-year-old admits he has found it difficult taking on a man he considers his idol, telling WST: ‘For me it’s hard to say something, I’m happy I win against Ronnie, but also he is my idol, I want him to get to finals, win championships, I want him to do well.

‘But this is sport, when I play anyone I don’t want to lose. I feel sorry for Ronnie but we are still very good friends.

‘The last two frames were going to be very important. I tried to do more like Ronnie, more relaxed. When I play him I learn from him, I try to relax for the game, don’t think about the pressure, more peace, just pot every ball, just concentrate.

‘When you play the top players, you always want to show something, you don’t want to just sit there, you want to wake up and do try hard things. When you play top players you’re going to learn something.

‘If you lose one time, second time you’re going to try hard again, again and again. After that maybe you have chance to win.’

Xiao moves on to take on Si Jiahui in the quarter-finals of the World Grand Prix, with Chris Wakelin and Zhang Anda the other players to book a spot in the last eight so far.

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