Ronnie O'Sullivan has said he has no intention of leaving the world of snooker, although he has doubts about his ability to return to his previous physical condition to “leave with a smile”.
The 49-year-old seven-time world champion has not played on the World Snooker Tour since January and is yet to decide whether to take part in this year's World Championship, which starts on April 19.
O'Sullivan, currently ranked fifth in the world, has lost interest in the sport and, after a difficult attempt to regain fitness, has withdrawn from five of the last six WST events on medical grounds.
He told the Daily Mail: “I'm not leaving yet, but I'll give myself two years to try and figure out what I can do.
“I don’t want to retire feeling like I haven’t reached the level that I know I’m capable of playing at.
“I don't have to win tournaments, but I just want to feel like I'm enjoying the game. I'd like to leave with a smile.”
He added: “I have to try and rebuild myself and just figure out how I played snooker. It's a massive process of rethinking and it might be the last one I ever have to go through as a snooker player.
“Do I think I can do it? Probably not, to be honest.
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“I think it's probably too late for my career and I'm probably damaged goods as a snooker player. You accumulate a lot of battle scars over the years. But I'm not ready to leave this world now because that would mean leaving at a low level.”
O'Sullivan, rightly regarded as snooker's greatest ever player, last won the World Championship in 2022, making him the oldest ever holder of the world crown.
He set a record by winning 23 Triple Crown titles, including eight Masters titles and eight UK Championship titles.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
