RONNIE O’SULLIVAN has hinted he could quit snooker to swap to a new sport.
The seven-time world champion admitted he is “fascinated” by the idea of taking up what he sees as the “best option”.
O’Sullivan has been a professional for over 30 years and is currently ranked as the world number one.
However, he has now opened up about his future in the sport during an appearance on BBC Radio 5 Live.
“I have to be happy,” the 47-year-old explained. “And if I wasn’t to go and do what I’ve been doing and what I will continue to do, then I wouldn’t play.
“I look at it and go well, I’ll play here as much as I can but if I’m not able to go and do my own thing then I wouldn’t even play snooker anymore.
“I’d probably have to resort to playing Chinese eight-ball pool, which is not what I really want to do, I still want to play snooker.”
The Rocket has won 39 ranked tournaments during his career, including his seven world titles, the most recent of which came in 2022.
He continued: “At some point you’ve just kinda got to go I want to live a good life, I want to be valued, I want to be treated well and sometimes you have to just make that decision.
“As long as I’ve got a cue in my hand, I’ll adapt to any cue sport. Whether it’s billiards, pool, probably wouldn’t go to nine-ball cause I don’t really like that game at all.
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“I’m fascinated by all cue sports, and as you know, I have to go where the best option is for me really, and it’s not always financially.
“It’s more about how you have a relationship with the people that you’re working with.”
It is not the first time O’Sullivan has threatened to quit the sport, either, as he remains locked in a feud with the World Snooker Tour over playing in China.
He is also the star of a new Amazon Prime Video film, with Ronnie O’Sullivan: The Rise of Everything releasing this week.
A camera crew followed him behind the scenes as he won his seventh world title last year to film the documentary.
