According to snooker player Ronnie O’Sullivan and Stephen Hendry, the sport is “not enjoyable.”
One of the best players in snooker has used two of the greatest players in history to support his ability to play the game without finding enjoyment in it. Gary Wilson, who placed 16th in the rankings and advanced to the 2019 World Championship semi-final, has now won back-to-back Scottish Open titles after defeating Noppon Saengkham in the most recent final in December.
Although he has only won two ranking titles in his career, his achievement at Meadowbank hasn’t exactly lifted his spirits. In addition, he is currently operating without a coach despite having a mediocre season—a decision that he seems to favor.
He said to Metro, “Nobody can feel what you feel.” It may seem fantastic yet feel terrible. After his victory at the Scottish Open, many have told me that I’m playing fantastic, but I didn’t feel that way at all.
Similar to Stephen Hendry’s account of his final 147 at the Crucible, where he claimed to have played six solid shots and the remaining ones terrible. He looks amazing, but Ronnie repeats the same thing, guiding balls in, twitch one in there, snatch another one in!
O’Sullivan in particular has consistently told reporters that he struggles to take pleasure from snooker, and has made frequent threats to retire throughout his iconic career. That persona has remained in this campaign, despite the ‘Rocket’ being on the brink of an historic treble of Triple Crown events in 2023/24 having already captured the Masters and UK Championship.
“I don’t think you can’t let somebody in like that, they’ll tell you one thing and you’ll feel another,” continued Wilson. “Sometimes you’re hitting them so good, but they’re just not quite going where you want them to go, it doesn’t look like you’re playing well, but you feel brilliant. It’s a strange game.
The 38-year-old Tyneside Terror, who became a professional in 2013, still seems to have a lot of years ahead in him at the highest level. But he asserts that his psychological issues with the sport date back to his teenage years, when he was beginning the process of becoming a professional athlete.
He remarked, “I think I’ve been frustrated with the game for about twenty years.” In a way, I’m grateful that while being disappointed for a significant portion of my career, I was still able to pursue a profession. That is something for which I am grateful.
In his most recent performance, Wilson lost four of his six World Championship League games this week. He fell without recording a frame in his final two matches, falling down 3-0 against John Higgins and Neil Robertson.
