Ronnie O’Sullivan has revealed he will ditch all coaching advice and go it alone in a bid to return to the top of the game.
It was a performance O’Sullivan was pleased with, but he is not getting carried away ahead of a meeting with Pang Junxu in the second round at The Crucible – live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
Asked by TNT Sports about his form in his win over Carter, O’Sullivan said: “It’s the best I’ve felt in three years.
“There’s no point getting my hopes up as I’ve had the odd day where I’ve played well, like against Ding [Junhui at the Riyadh Season Championship]. But then the next match, not so great.”
Highlights as O’Sullivan beats Carter in first round
Video credit: TNT Sports
Despite winning snooker’s Triple Crown of World Championship (2022), UK Championship (2023) and The Masters (2024), O’Sullvan said the last four years have been a struggle.
“This game has a way of humbling snooker players,” O’Sullivan said. “I think it has been the biggest humbling for me, these last three or four years of just struggling. There were the odd six months when I won the World Championship, leading up to it from January onwards I felt great. Other than that it has been just awful.”
O’Sullivan says he is aware of the issues he needs to correct, and will have sports psychiatrist Steve Peters in his corner. ‘The Rocket’ had been working with Mark Williams’ coach Lee Walker, but will have no technical help going forward.
“I know what I need to correct,” he said. “There will be no more coaches onboard, it will be just me and Steve Peters, trying to help me be a bit more instinctive and just try and find my own way of playing.
“I will commit to two years, even if it is terrible, and will give everything to play in the tournaments, practice and rest and rediscover the shots I have lost.
“I have lost [the ability] to strike through the ball. I have been scared to hit the ball, basically. I have been quitting on so many shots, no cue power, no touch, no feel, just thudding everything and mistiming.
“I just need to go back to my own way of playing, clear my head and not be too analytical and overthink things.”
O’Sullivan cited Rory McIlroy, who completed golf’s career grand slam by winning the Masters in April, as an example to follow.
“I have been tinkering so much, it was getting very frustrating as I’d have moments of ‘this is good’ then the next step it is terrible,” O’Sullivan said.
“I think it is quite interesting what Rory McIlroy said. He said when he’s playing well he can’t imagine playing bad and when he’s playing bad he can never imagine playing well again.
“I have had three or four years of playing bad, so I felt like I might never play well again. I just felt like my limbs did not belong to me any more.”
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