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{{Infobox snooker player | name = Ronnie O'Sullivan | honorific_suffix = OBE | image = Ronnie O’Sullivan at Snooker German Masters (DerHexer) 2015-02-06 07.jpg | image_size = | caption = O'Sullivan at the 2015 German Masters | birth_date = (1975-12-05) 5 December 1975 (age 49) | birth_place = Wordsley, West Midlands, England | Sport country =  England | Nickname = The Rocket[1] | Professional = 1992–present | High ranking = 1 (May 2002–May 2003, May 2004–May 2006, May 2008–May 2010, March–August 2019, April 2022–present) | Official maximums = 15 | Ranking wins = 40 | Minor wins = 3 | Other wins = 35 | World champ = {{Hlist|2001 | 2004 | 2008 | [[2012 World Snooker Championship|2012][2022] | 2013 | 2020}} }}

Ronald Antonio O'Sullivan OBE (born 5 December 1975) is an English professional snooker player, who is the current world number one. Widely recognised as one of the most talented and accomplished players in the history of the sport, he holds the record for the most ranking titles in professional snooker, with 39. As a seven-time world champion, a seven-time Masters champion and a seven-time UK champion, he has won a record 21 Triple Crown titles. He has been ranked world number one on multiple occasions.

After an impressive junior career, O'Sullivan turned professional in 1992, aged 16. He won his first ranking title at the 1993 UK Championship aged 17 years and 358 days, making him the youngest player to win a professional ranking event, a record he still holds. He is also the youngest player to win the Masters, which he first achieved in 1995, aged 19 years and 69 days. Now noted for his longevity in the sport, he has made a record 30 consecutive World Championship appearances from 1993 to 2022. In 2020, he became the second-oldest player, after Ray Reardon in 1978, to win a world title in snooker's modern era.

One of the sport's most prolific break-builders, O'Sullivan made his first competitive century break at age 10 and his first competitive maximum break at age 15. In 2015, he surpassed Stephen Hendry's then-record 775 century breaks in professional competition. In 2019, he became the first and only player to attain 1,000 career century breaks, and has since extended his record to over 1,100 centuries. He has also achieved the highest number of officially recognised maximum breaks in professional competition, with 15, and holds the Guinness World Record for the fastest competitive maximum break, compiled in a time of 5 minutes and 8 seconds at the 1997 World Championship.

O'Sullivan has struggled during his career with depression, mood swings and drug and alcohol abuse. Known as a volatile personality, he received a suspended two-year ban and a £20,000 fine in 1996 for assaulting an assistant press officer and a £20,800 fine in 2006 for walking out of a UK Championship quarter-final against Hendry. He has been disciplined multiple times by snooker's governing body for his behaviour and statements. In turn, he has accused the sport's authorities of bullying and intimidating him, has levelled numerous criticisms against the professional tour and has repeatedly threatened to retire. Outside his playing career, O'Sullivan works as a pundit and presenter for Eurosport's snooker coverage. He has written crime novels, autobiographies and a health and fitness book, and has starred in the miniseries Ronnie O'Sullivan's American Hustle. He was awarded an OBE in 2016.

Career summary

O'Sullivan with the trophy of the 2012 German Masters

O'Sullivan began playing snooker at age 7 and soon became a noted amateur competitor, winning his first club tournament at age 9, making his first competitive century break at age 10,[2] and winning the British Under-16 Championship at age 13.[3] At the 1991 English Amateur Championship, aged 15 years and 98 days, he made his first competitive maximum break, then the youngest player ever to do so in a recognised tournament.[4] In the same year, he won the IBSF World Under-21 Snooker Championship and Junior Pot Black.[5][6]

After turning professional in 1992, aged 16, he won 74 of his first 76 qualifying matches,[7] including a record 38 consecutive professional victories.[4] He qualified for the televised stages of the World Championship in his first professional season, making his Crucible debut on 18 April 1993, aged 17 years and 134 days.[8] He remains the third-youngest player to compete in a World Championship, after Luca Brecel in 2012 and Stephen Hendry in 1986. He claimed his first ranking title later that year, winning the 1993 UK Championship seven days before his 18th birthday to become the youngest ever winner of a ranking tournament, a record he still holds.[9] The following season, he won the 1995 Masters aged 19 years and 69 days. He is the youngest Masters champion in history.[10]

Between 1996 and 1999, O'Sullivan reached three world semi-finals in four years. At the 1997 World Championship, he achieved his first maximum break in professional competition; compiled in a time of 5 minutes and 8 seconds, it remains the fastest competitive maximum break in snooker history, which is listed as a Guinness World Record.[11][12] He won his second UK title later that year at the 1997 UK Championship.[13] Despite these successes, his career also became marred by controversy in the later 1990s. During the 1996 World Championship, he assaulted an assistant press officer, for which he received a suspended two-year ban and a £20,000 fine.[14] After winning the 1998 Irish Masters, he was stripped of his title and prize money when a post-match drug test found evidence of cannabis in his system.[15] O'Sullivan subsequently acknowledged frequent abuse of drugs and alcohol in the early years of his career, which resulted in spells in the Priory Hospital for rehabilitation.[16]

He reached his first world final in 2001, where he defeated John Higgins 18–14 to claim his first world title and reach number two in the world rankings.[13] He won his third UK title later in 2001,[17] which helped him attain the world number one ranking for the first time in the 2002/2003 season.[18] With veteran six-time world champion Ray Reardon acting as his coach and mentor, he won his second world title in 2004, defeating Graeme Dott 18–8 in the final,[19] after which he held the number one ranking for the next two seasons.[18] He added his second Masters title in 2005, ten years after his first.[20] However, his behaviour became notably erratic in the mid-2000s as he battled clinical depression. During the 2005 World Championship, he shaved his head mid-tournament and exhibited what The Independent called a "public emotional disintegration" while losing 11 of the last 14 frames in his quarter-final against Peter Ebdon.[21] At the 2005 UK Championship, he sat with a wet towel draped over his head during his match against Mark King.[22] Trailing Stephen Hendry 1–4 in their best-of-17-frames quarter-final at the 2006 UK Championship, he abruptly conceded the match during the sixth frame and left the arena. Hendry was awarded the match 9–1 and O'Sullivan was fined £20,800 over the incident.[14]

In 2007, O'Sullivan won his third Masters title and his fourth UK Championship, his first ranking title in almost three years.[17] He won his third world title in 2008, defeating Ali Carter 18–8 in the final,[23] after which he held the world number one ranking for the next two seasons.[18] He added his fourth Masters title in 2009.[17] After two seasons that saw him fall out of the top ten in the world rankings for the first time,[18] he began working with psychiatrist Steve Peters in 2011.[24] A resurgent O'Sullivan captured his fourth World Championship in 2012, again defeating Carter in the final, after which he paid tribute to Peters's work with him.[25] The following season, he took an extended break from the professional tour.[24] Despite playing only one competitive match all season, he returned to the Crucible for the 2013 World Championship and successfully defended his world title, defeating Barry Hawkins 18–12 in the final.[26] In his 2014 Masters quarter-final against Ricky Walden, he set a new record for the most points without reply in professional competition, with 556,[27] and went on to beat the defending champion Mark Selby 10–4 in the final to claim his fifth Masters title.[28] At the 2014 World Championship, he reached a third consecutive world final, where he again faced Selby. Despite taking a 10–5 lead, O'Sullivan lost 14–18, his first defeat in a world final.[29] Later in 2014, he won his fifth UK Championship, beating Judd Trump 10–9 in the final, although he declined to defend his UK title the following year, citing debilitating insomnia.[30] At the 2015 Masters, he made his 776th century break in professional competition, surpassing Hendry's record for the most career centuries.[31]

O'Sullivan after winning his fifth world title in 2013

He won consecutive Masters in 2016 and 2017 for a record seven Masters titles. He won consecutive UK Championships in 2017 and 2018 for a record seven UK titles and a total of 19 titles in the Triple Crown Series, surpassing Hendry's total of 18. During the 2017–18 season, he won five ranking events.[32] In the last frame of the 2019 Players Championship final, he made his 1,000th century break in professional competition, becoming the first player to reach that milestone.[33] At the 2019 Tour Championship, he won his 36th ranking title, equalling Hendry's record and attaining the world number one ranking for the first time since May 2010.[34]

At the 2020 World Championship, he came from 14 to 16 behind in his semi-final against Selby to win 17–16; he then defeated Kyren Wilson 18–8 in the final to win his sixth world title, setting new records of 37 career ranking titles and 20 Triple Crown titles. Aged 44 years and 254 days, he became the oldest player to win a world title since Reardon in 1978. The tournament also marked his 28th consecutive Crucible appearance, surpassing the 27 consecutive appearances made by Hendry.[9] At the 2021 Tour Championship, he reached 1,100 century breaks in professional competition,[35] and also reached his 58th ranking final, breaking Hendry's record of 57 ranking final appearances.[36] O'Sullivan lost five consecutive ranking finals in the 2020–21 season, but he ended a 16-month title drought by winning his 38th ranking title at the 2021 World Grand Prix. This extended his professional record for the longest interval between a player's first and most recent ranking title to over 28 years.[37] At the 2022 World Championship, O'Sullivan made his 30th Crucible appearance, equalling Steve Davis's record for most appearances at the final stages of the tournament.[38]

O'Sullivan's other career highlights include four Welsh Open titles, four Shanghai Masters titles, three Champion of Champions titles, and two China Open titles.[17]

Playing style

O'Sullivan during the 2011 Paul Hunter Classic

Known for his fast and attacking style of play, O'Sullivan gained the nickname "The Rocket" after winning a best-of-nine frame match in a record 43 minutes during his debut season as a professional.[39] A prolific breakbuilder and solid tactical player, he has stated his disdain for long, drawn-out games, saying that they harm the game of snooker.[40] He is right-handed but can play to a high standard with his left hand and routinely alternates where needed, enabling him to attempt shots with his left hand that would otherwise require a rest or spider.[41] When he first displayed this left-handed ability in the 1996 World Championship against Alain Robidoux, the Canadian accused him of disrespect and refused to shake hands after the match.[14][42]

Status

O'Sullivan is highly regarded in the sport, with several of his peers regarding him as the greatest player ever[43][44][45][46][47] and some labelling him a "genius".[48][49] After losing 6–17 to O'Sullivan in the 2008 World Championship semi-finals, Hendry described him as "the best player in the world by a country mile" at that point in time.[50] However, O'Sullivan sometimes lacks confidence or interest,[51] and he has performed inconsistently throughout his career,[52] with observers noting the "two Ronnies" aspect of his character.[53][54]

One of the most popular players on the circuit,[55] he is noted for being a "showman",[56] and has helped improve the image of snooker with the general public.[48][57] He has often been compared to Alex Higgins and Jimmy White because of his natural talent and popularity.[41]

In December 2020 O'Sullivan was nominated for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award.[58]

Criticisms of the sport

After Barry Hearn took charge of World Snooker in 2010, O'Sullivan became a vocal critic of how Hearn reconfigured the professional tour. He took issue with increased travel expectations, flat 128 draws that required top professionals to play more rounds against lower ranked opponents, reduced prize money for 147 breaks, and tournament venues he saw as inadequate. He accused snooker's governing body of bullying and intimidating him, claimed that Hearn was running a "dictatorship,"[59] protested alleged mistreatment by snooker's authorities by giving robotic or monosyllabic responses in interviews,[60] and refused opportunities to make maximum breaks in apparent protest over inadequate prize money for the achievement.[61] In 2018, he threatened to form a breakaway snooker tour akin to the split in darts.[62]

During the 2020 World Championship, O'Sullivan publicly criticised the standard of new players coming into snooker, stating that he would have to "lose an arm and a leg to fall out of the top 50".[63] He was also critical of the tournament organisers' decision to allow fans into the World Championship final during the COVID-19 pandemic.[64]

In 2021, O'Sullivan claimed on a podcast interview that most snooker players had wasted their lives. He called snooker a "bad sport" that can cause "a lot of damage," suggesting that the antisocial nature of solitary practice in a darkened environment can stunt players' personal development. He stated that he would not support his own children if they chose to become snooker players, and said that if he could live his sporting career over again, he would pursue golf or Formula One instead.[65]

Other endeavours

Broadcaster

In 2015 and 2016, O'Sullivan co-hosted the Midweek Matchzone show with Chris Hood on Brentwood radio station Phoenix FM.[66]

In March 2014, Eurosport signed an exclusive deal with O'Sullivan to make him its global ambassador for snooker, with the goal of driving the sport's international appeal.[67] As part of the deal, O'Sullivan created an exclusive snooker series for the network called The Ronnie O'Sullivan Show, which included his insights into the game, interviews with other professional players, and playing tips. He also wrote for Yahoo! websites and mobile apps during the World Championship.[68] O'Sullivan frequently appears as a pundit on Eurosport's snooker coverage alongside Jimmy White and Neal Foulds. He also starred in a miniseries Ronnie O'Sullivan's American Hustle touring the United States with broadcasting friend Matt Smith. The series showed the pair travelling to different cities in the US learning the art of pool hustling.[69]

Author

O'Sullivan at a 2014 book signing

O'Sullivan has written three crime novels in collaboration with author Emlyn Rees:[70] Framed (2016),[71] Double Kiss (2017),[72] and The Break (2018). Although the novels are not autobiographical, they are loosely based on his early experiences and family life.[71] He has also written two autobiographies: his first, Ronnie: The Autobiography of Ronnie O'Sullivan, was published in 2003; and his second, Running: The Autobiography, was published in 2013.[73]

O'Sullivan has also coauthored a health and fitness book with nutritionist Rhiannon Lambert entitled Top of Your Game: Eating for Mind and Body. Published in 2019, it contains healthy recipes and advice for "living better, eating healthier and feeding your brain to enhance your performance".[74]

Video games

O'Sullivan has been involved with several video games, including his own Ronnie O'Sullivan's Snooker, World Snooker Championship 2007 in 2007, and Virtual Snooker in 1996.[75]

Personal life

O'Sullivan was born on 5 December 1975 in Wordsley, West Midlands,[1][51][76] the son of Ronald John and Maria (née Catalano) O'Sullivan, who ran a string of sex shops in the Soho area of London.[77] His mother is originally from Sicily, and O'Sullivan spent childhood holidays in the village near Agrigento where she grew up.[78] He was brought up in the Manor Road area of Chigwell, Essex, where he still lives.[77][79] He is a first cousin of snooker player Maria Catalano, who has been ranked number one in the women's game.[80] In 1992 his father was sentenced to life in prison for murder and was released in 2010 after serving 18 years.[81] His mother was sentenced to a year in prison for tax evasion in 1996, leaving O'Sullivan to care for his eight-year-old sister Danielle.[82]

O'Sullivan has three children: Taylor-Ann Magnus (born 1996) from a two-year relationship with Sally Magnus,[83] and Lily (born 2006) and Ronnie Jr (born 2007) from a relationship with Jo Langley, whom he met at Narcotics Anonymous.[84][85] He became a grandfather in October 2018 after Taylor-Ann gave birth to a daughter.[86] He began dating actress Laila Rouass in 2012, and became engaged to her in 2013.[87] Rouass announced on social media in February 2022 that they had ended their ten-year relationship.[88]

He is known for his perfectionism and for being highly self-critical,[89][90] even in victory.[91][92] Early in his career, he was treated for drug-related issues and bouts of depression.[93] Since 2011, psychiatrist and sports psychologist Steve Peters, a close friend,[94][95] has helped him overcome his mood swings.[77][96] He is also a close friend of artist Damien Hirst.[97] Noted for repeatedly declaring his intention to retire,[98] O'Sullivan took an extended break from the professional snooker tour during the 2012–13 season, during which he worked on a pig farm for several weeks.[99] He enjoys running,[100] and has achieved a personal best of 34 minutes and 54 seconds for 10 km races, which ranked him in the top 1,500 10 km runners in the UK in 2008.[101] He enjoys cooking,[102] and appeared on the BBC's Saturday Kitchen in December 2014 and February 2021.[103] He also enjoys motor racing, and has appeared on Top Gear.[104] He is a supporter of Arsenal FC.[105]

Despite a self-professed interest in Islam, O'Sullivan denied media reports that claimed he had converted to the religion in 2003.[106][107][108][109] He has also espoused an interest in Buddhism,[110] having spent many lunchtimes at the London Buddhist Centre in Bethnal Green. However, he denies having a firm commitment to any religion.[111]

O'Sullivan was awarded an OBE in the New Year Honours list in 2016.[112]

Performance and rankings timeline

Tournament 1992/
93
1993/
94
1994/
95
1995/
96
1996/
97
1997/
98
1998/
99
1999/
00
2000/
01
2001/
02
2002/
03
2003/
04
2004/
05
2005/
06
2006/
07
2007/
08
2008/
09
2009/
10
2010/
11
2011/
12
2012/
13
2013/
14
2014/
15
2015/
16
2016/
17
2017/
18
2018/
19
2019/
20
2020/
21
2021/
22
Ranking[18][nb 1] [nb 2] 57 9 3 8 7 3 4 4 2 1 3 1 1 3 5 1 1 3 11 9 19 4 5 10 14 2 1 2 3
Ranking tournaments
Championship League Tournament Not Held Non-Ranking Event WD WD
British Open LQ W F SF 1R QF 3R SF QF SF 3R F SF Tournament Not Held A
Northern Ireland Open Tournament Not Held 4R 3R F F F 3R
English Open Tournament Not Held 3R W SF 4R 3R SF
UK Championship 2R W QF QF 1R W A QF SF W QF SF 2R 1R QF W 2R SF 1R 2R A QF W A F W W 4R 2R QF
Scottish Open[nb 3] 2R LQ 3R 1R QF W 2R W 2R 2R 3R QF Tournament Not Held MR Not Held QF QF WD QF F SF
World Grand Prix Tournament Not Held NR 1R 2R W 1R QF SF W
Shoot-Out Tournament Not Held Non-Ranking Event A A A 2R A A
German Masters[nb 4] Not Held 1R W SF NR Tournament Not Held WD W A LQ QF LQ 1R WD A A A LQ
Players Championship[nb 5] Tournament Not Held DNQ WD DNQ 2R DNQ DNQ QF W W DNQ F QF
European Masters[nb 6] QF F SF 1R 1R NH 1R Not Held QF W QF 2R A 1R NR Tournament Not Held F A WD A 2R F
Welsh Open 2R 1R QF 2R 2R 3R SF 3R 2R 2R QF W W 2R QF F 2R SF 1R SF A W 3R W 2R QF 3R SF F 3R
Turkish Masters Tournament Not Held A
Gibraltar Open Tournament Not Held A A A A A WD 1R
Tour Championship Tournament Not Held W DNQ F SF
World Championship 1R 2R QF SF 2R SF SF 1R W SF 1R W QF SF QF W 2R QF QF W W F QF 2R QF 2R 1R W 2R
Non-ranking tournaments
Champion of Champions Tournament Not Held W W WD F F W SF QF QF
The Masters WDQ WR W F F QF QF QF 1R QF QF F W F W 1R W F 1R QF A W SF W W QF F A QF QF
Championship League Tournament Not Held A A RR RR A A A WD F A A A 2R WD RR
Former ranking tournaments
Dubai Classic[nb 7] LQ SF SF 1R W Tournament Not Held
Malta Grand Prix Not Held Non-Ranking Event QF NR Tournament Not Held
Thailand Masters[nb 8] 2R 1R F 2R SF 2R 1R 2R 2R SF NR Not Held NR Tournament Not Held
Irish Masters Non-Ranking Event W QF W NH NR Tournament Not Held
Northern Ireland Trophy Tournament Not Held NR F QF W Tournament Not Held
Shanghai Masters Tournament Not Held WD F W WD 2R A A 1R A 2R W Non-Ranking Not Held
China Open[nb 9] Tournament Not Held NR 2R W W QF Not Held WD 1R SF 1R QF 1R 1R QF A A WD A 2R 1R A Not Held
International Championship Tournament Not Held WD 2R QF A 3R 1R A A Not Held
China Championship Tournament Not Held NR QF A A Not Held
World Open[nb 10] 1R 1R QF 1R 2R 2R 3R QF F QF QF 2R W F QF F QF 2R F WD A A Not Held A A A LQ Not Held
WST Pro Series Tournament Not Held 1R NH
Former non-ranking tournaments
Nescafe Extra Challenge W Tournament Not Held
Belgian Masters SF Not Held A Tournament Not Held
Tenball Not Held F Tournament Not Held
Superstar International Tournament Not Held W Tournament Not Held
China International[nb 9] Tournament Not Held SF Ranking Event Not Held Ranking Event Not Held
Millennium Cup Tournament Not Held F Tournament Not Held
Pontins Professional A A QF A A A A A Tournament Not Held
Champions Cup[nb 11] Not Held QF W F F F SF W RR Tournament Not Held
Scottish Masters A A SF SF QF QF W QF W F W Tournament Not Held
Northern Ireland Trophy Tournament Not Held 1R Ranking Event Tournament Not Held
Irish Masters A QF 1R QF SF DQ QF SF W QF Ranking Event NH W Tournament Not Held
Euro-Asia Masters Challenge Tournament Not Held A Not Held RR Tournament Not Held
Pot Black SF A Tournament Not Held QF A A Tournament Not Held
Benson & Hedges Championship WD W A A A A A A A A A A A NH A A A A Tournament Not Held
Power Snooker Tournament Not Held W F Tournament Not Held
Premier League[nb 12] RR RR RR RR W RR SF SF W W SF A W W W W W F W W A Tournament Not Held
World Grand Prix Tournament Not Held F Ranking Event
Shoot-Out Tournament Not Held SF A A A 2R A Ranking Event
Hong Kong Masters Tournament Not Held F Tournament Not Held
Shanghai Masters Tournament Not Held Ranking Event W W Not Held
Performance Table Legend
LQ lost in the qualifying draw #R lost in the early rounds of the tournament
(WR = Wildcard round, RR = Round robin)
QF lost in the quarter-finals
SF lost in the semi–finals F lost in the final W won the tournament
DNQ did not qualify for the tournament A did not participate in the tournament WD withdrew from the tournament
WDQ withdrew from the qualifying tournament
DQ disqualified from the tournament
NH / Not Held event was not held.
NR / Non-Ranking Event event is/was no longer a ranking event.
R / Ranking Event event is/was a ranking event.
MR / Minor-Ranking Event means an event is/was a minor-ranking event.
PA / Pro–am Event means an event is/was a pro–am event.
  1. ^ From the 2010/2011 season it shows the ranking at the beginning of the season.
  2. ^ New players on the Main Tour don't have a ranking.
  3. ^ The event was called the International Open (1992/1993–1996/1997) and the Players Championship (2003/2004)
  4. ^ The event was called the German Open (1995/1996–1997/1998)
  5. ^ The event was called the Players Tour Championship Grand Finals (2010/2011–2012/2013) and the Players Championship Grand Final (2013/2014–2015/2016)
  6. ^ The event was called the European Open (1992/1993–1996/1997 and 2001/2002–2003/2004), Irish Open (1998/1999) and the Malta Cup (2004/2005–2007/2008)
  7. ^ The event was called the Thailand Classic (1995/1996) and the Asian Classic (1996/1997)
  8. ^ The event was called the Asian Open (1992/1993) and the Thailand Open (1993/1994–1996/1997)
  9. ^ a b The event was called the China International (1997/1998–1998/1999)
  10. ^ The event was called the Grand Prix (1992/1993–2000/2001 and 2004/2005–2009/2010), the LG Cup (2001/2002–2003/2004) and the Haikou World Open (2011/2012–2013/2014)
  11. ^ The event was called the Charity Challenge (1994/1995–1998/1999)
  12. ^ The event was called the European League (1992/1993–1996/1997)

Career finals

Ranking finals: 61 (38 titles)

Legend
World Championship (6–1)
UK Championship (7–1)
Other (25–20)
Outcome No. Year Championship Opponent Score Ref.
Winner 1. 1993 UK Championship Scotland Stephen Hendry 10–6 [113]
Runner-up 1. 1993 European Open Scotland Stephen Hendry 5–9 [114]
Winner 2. 1994 British Open Thailand James Wattana 9–4 [115]
Runner-up 2. 1995 Thailand Open Thailand James Wattana 6–9 [116]
Runner-up 3. 1995 British Open Scotland John Higgins 6–9 [115]
Winner 3. 1996 Asian Classic England Brian Morgan 9–8 [117]
Winner 4. 1996 German Open Canada Alain Robidoux 9–7 [114]
Winner 5. 1997 UK Championship (2) Scotland Stephen Hendry 10–6 [113]
Winner 6. 1998 Scottish Open Scotland John Higgins 9–5 [118]
Winner 7. 1999 China Open England Stephen Lee 9–2 [119]
Winner 8. 2000 Scottish Open (2) Wales Mark Williams 9–1 [118]
Runner-up 4. 2000 Grand Prix Wales Mark Williams 5–9 [120]
Winner 9. 2000 China Open (2) Wales Mark Williams 9–3 [119]
Winner 10. 2001 World Snooker Championship Scotland John Higgins 18–14 [121]
Winner 11. 2001 UK Championship (3) Republic of Ireland Ken Doherty 10–1 [113]
Winner 12. 2003 European Open Scotland Stephen Hendry 9–6 [114]
Winner 13. 2003 Irish Masters Scotland John Higgins 10–9 [122]
Runner-up 5. 2003 British Open (2) Scotland Stephen Hendry 6–9 [115]
Winner 14. 2004 Welsh Open England Steve Davis 9–8 [123]
Winner 15. 2004 World Snooker Championship (2) Scotland Graeme Dott 18–8 [121]
Winner 16. 2004 Grand Prix England Ian McCulloch 9–5 [120]
Winner 17. 2005 Welsh Open (2) Scotland Stephen Hendry 9–8 [123]
Winner 18. 2005 Irish Masters (2) Wales Matthew Stevens 10–8 [122]
Runner-up 6. 2005 Grand Prix (2) Scotland John Higgins 2–9 [120]
Runner-up 7. 2006 Northern Ireland Trophy China Ding Junhui 6–9 [124]
Runner-up 8. 2007 Grand Prix (3) Hong Kong Marco Fu 6–9 [120]
Winner 19. 2007 UK Championship (4) Scotland Stephen Maguire 10–2 [113]
Runner-up 9. 2008 Welsh Open England Mark Selby 8–9 [123]
Winner 20. 2008 World Snooker Championship (3) England Ali Carter 18–8 [121]
Winner 21. 2008 Northern Ireland Trophy England Dave Harold 9–3 [124]
Runner-up 10. 2008 Shanghai Masters England Ricky Walden 8–10 [119]
Winner 22. 2009 Shanghai Masters China Liang Wenbo 10–5 [119]
Runner-up 11. 2010 World Open The World Open is a continuation of the Grand Prix but under a different format Australia Neil Robertson 1–5 [125]
Winner 23. 2012 German Masters The German Masters is a continuation of the German Open under a different name Scotland Stephen Maguire 9–7 [126]
Winner 24. 2012 World Snooker Championship (4) England Ali Carter 18–11 [127]
Winner 25. 2013 World Snooker Championship (5) England Barry Hawkins 18–12 [128]
Winner 26. 2014 Welsh Open (3) China Ding Junhui 9–3 [129]
Runner-up 12. 2014 World Snooker Championship England Mark Selby 14–18 [130]
Winner 27. 2014 UK Championship (5) England Judd Trump 10–9 [131]
Winner 28. 2016 Welsh Open (4) Australia Neil Robertson 9–5 [132]
Runner-up 13. 2016 European Masters England Judd Trump 8–9 [133]
Runner-up 14. 2016 UK Championship England Mark Selby 7–10 [134]
Winner 29. 2017 English Open England Kyren Wilson 9–2 [135]
Winner 30. 2017 Shanghai Masters (2) England Judd Trump 10–3 [136]
Winner 31. 2017 UK Championship (6) England Shaun Murphy 10–5 [137]
Winner 32. 2018 World Grand Prix China Ding Junhui 10–3 [138]
Winner 33. 2018 Players Championship England Shaun Murphy 10–4 [139]
Runner-up 15. 2018 Northern Ireland Open England Judd Trump 7–9 [140]
Winner 34. 2018 UK Championship (7) Northern Ireland Mark Allen 10–6 [141]
Winner 35. 2019 Players Championship (2) Australia Neil Robertson 10–4 [142]
Winner 36. 2019 Tour Championship Australia Neil Robertson 13–11 [143]
Runner-up 16. 2019 Northern Ireland Open (2) England Judd Trump 7–9 [144]
Winner 37. 2020 World Snooker Championship (6) England Kyren Wilson 18–8 [145]
Runner-up 17. 2020 Northern Ireland Open (3) England Judd Trump 7–9 [146]
Runner-up 18. 2020 Scottish Open England Mark Selby 3–9 [147]
Runner-up 19. 2021 Welsh Open (2) Northern Ireland Jordan Brown 8–9 [148]
Runner-up 20. 2021 Players Championship Scotland John Higgins 3–10 [149]
Runner-up 21. 2021 Tour Championship Australia Neil Robertson 4–10 [150]
Winner 38. 2021 World Grand Prix (2) Australia Neil Robertson 10–8 [151]
Runner-up 22. 2022 European Masters (2) China Fan Zhengyi 9–10
2022 World Snooker Championship England Judd Trump

Minor-ranking finals: 6 (3 titles)

Outcome No. Year Championship Opponent Score Ref.
Runner-up 1. 2010 Players Tour Championship – Event 4 England Barry Pinches 3–4 [152]
Winner 1. 2011 Players Tour Championship – Event 1 England Joe Perry 4–0 [153]
Winner 2. 2011 Kay Suzanne Memorial Trophy Wales Matthew Stevens 4–2 [154]
Runner-up 2. 2011 Antwerp Open England Judd Trump 3–4 [155]
Winner 3. 2013 Paul Hunter Classic Northern Ireland Gerard Greene 4–0 [156]
Runner-up 3. 2013 Antwerp Open (2) England Mark Selby 3–4 [157]

Non-ranking finals: 54 (35 titles)

Legend
The Masters (7–6)
Champion of Champions (3–2)
Premier League (10–1)
Other (15–10)
Disqualified (1)
Outcome No. Year Championship Opponent Score Ref.
Winner 1. 1993 Nescafe Extra Challenge Thailand James Wattana Round-Robin[158] [159]
Winner 2. 1993 Benson and Hedges Championship Scotland John Lardner 9–6 [160]
Winner 3. 1993 Scottish Masters Challenge Scotland John Higgins 6–5 [161]
Winner 4. 1995 The Masters Scotland John Higgins 9–3 [162]
Runner-up 1. 1995 Tenball England Jimmy White 1–3 [163]
Winner 5. 1996 Charity Challenge Scotland John Higgins 9–6 [164]
Runner-up 2. 1996 The Masters Scotland Stephen Hendry 5–10 [162]
Runner-up 3. 1997 Charity Challenge Scotland Stephen Hendry 8–9 [164]
Runner-up 4. 1997 The Masters (2) England Steve Davis 8–10 [162]
Winner 6. 1997 European League Scotland Stephen Hendry 10–8 [165]
Winner 7. 1997 Superstar International England Jimmy White 5–3 [159]
Runner-up 5. 1998 Charity Challenge (2) Scotland John Higgins 8–9 [164]
Disqualified [nb 1] 1998 Irish Masters Republic of Ireland Ken Doherty 9–3 [122]
Winner 8. 1998 Scottish Masters Scotland John Higgins 9–7 [166]
Runner-up 6. 1999 Charity Challenge (3) Scotland John Higgins 4–9 [164]
Runner-up 7. 1999 Millennium Cup England Stephen Lee 2–7 [159]
Winner 9. 2000 Champions Cup (2) Wales Mark Williams 7–5 [164]
Winner 10. 2000 Scottish Masters (2) Scotland Stephen Hendry 9–6 [166]
Winner 11. 2001 Irish Masters Scotland Stephen Hendry 9–8 [122]
Winner 12. 2001 Premier League The Premier League Snooker is a continuation of the European League Scotland Stephen Hendry 9–7 [165]
Runner-up 8. 2001 Scottish Masters Scotland John Higgins 6–9 [166]
Winner 13. 2002 Premier League (3) Scotland John Higgins 9–4 [165]
Winner 14. 2002 Scottish Masters (3) Scotland John Higgins 9–4 [166]
Runner-up 9. 2004 The Masters (3) England Paul Hunter 9–10 [162]
Winner 15. 2005 The Masters (2) Scotland John Higgins 10–3 [162]
Winner 16. 2005 (May) Premier League (4) Wales Mark Williams 6–0 [165]
Winner 17. 2005 (Dec) Premier League (5) Scotland Stephen Hendry 6–0 [165]
Runner-up 10. 2006 The Masters (4) Scotland John Higgins 9–10 [162]
Winner 18. 2006 Premier League (6) England Jimmy White 7–0 [165]
Winner 19. 2007 The Masters (3) China Ding Junhui 10–3 [162]
Winner 20. 2007 Kilkenny Irish Masters The Kilkenny Irish Masters was a continuation of the Irish Masters England Barry Hawkins 9–1 [167]
Winner 21. 2007 Premier League (7) Scotland John Higgins 7–4 [165]
Winner 22. 2008 Hamm Invitational Trophy England Barry Hawkins 6–2 [168]
Winner 23. 2008 Premier League (8) England Mark Selby 7–2 [165]
Winner 24. 2009 The Masters (4) England Mark Selby 10–8 [162]
Runner-up 11. 2009 Premier League England Shaun Murphy 3–7 [165]
Runner-up 12. 2010 The Masters (5) England Mark Selby 9–10 [162]
Winner 25. 2010 Power Snooker China Ding Junhui [nb 2] [169]
Winner 26. 2010 Premier League (9) England Shaun Murphy 7–1 [165]
Runner-up 13. 2011 Power Snooker England Martin Gould [nb 3] [170]
Winner 27. 2011 Premier League (10) China Ding Junhui 7–1 [165]
Winner 28. 2013 Champion of Champions England Stuart Bingham 10–8 [171]
Winner 29. 2014 The Masters (5) England Mark Selby 10–4 [172]
Winner 30. 2014 Champion of Champions (2) England Judd Trump 10–7 [173]
Runner-up 14. 2015 World Grand Prix England Judd Trump 7–10 [174]
Winner 31. 2016 The Masters (6) England Barry Hawkins 10–1 [175]
Runner-up 15. 2016 Championship League England Judd Trump 2–3 [176]
Runner-up 16. 2016 Champion of Champions Scotland John Higgins 7–10 [177]
Winner 32. 2017 The Masters (7) England Joe Perry 10–7 [178]
Runner-up 17. 2017 Hong Kong Masters Australia Neil Robertson 3–6 [179]
Runner-up 18. 2017 Champion of Champions (2) England Shaun Murphy 8–10 [180]
Winner 33. 2018 Shanghai Masters (3) England Barry Hawkins 11–9 [181]
Winner 34. 2018 Champion of Champions (3) England Kyren Wilson 10–9 [182]
Runner-up 19. 2019 The Masters (6) England Judd Trump 4–10 [183]
Winner 35. 2019 Shanghai Masters (4) England Shaun Murphy 11–9 [184]

Pro–am finals: 1 (1 title)

Outcome No. Year Championship Opponent Score Ref.
Winner 1. 2015 Pink Ribbon England Darryn Walker 4–2 [185]

Team finals: 3 (3 titles)

Outcome No. Year Championship Team Opponent Score Ref.
Winner 1. 2000 Nations Cup  England  Wales 6–4 [186]
Winner 2. 2007 Euro-Asia Masters Team Challenge  Europe Team Asia 5–3 [187]
Winner 3. 2017 CVB Snooker Challenge  Great Britain  China 26–9 [188]

Amateur finals: 5 (3 titles)

Outcome No. Year Championship Opponent Score Ref.
Runner-up 1. 1987 Pontins Junior Open England Rod Lawler 0–3 [189][190]
Winner 1. 1989 British Under-16 Championship England Andy Hicks 3–1 [3]
Runner-up 2. 1991 English Amateur Championship England Steve Judd 10–13 [191]
Winner 2. 1991 IBSF World Under-21 Championship Belgium Patrick Delsemme 11–4 [191]
Winner 3. 1991 Junior Pot Black Republic of Ireland Declan Murphy 2–0 [192][193]

Maximum and century breaks

Ronnie O'Sullivan has completed 15 maximum breaks from his first in the 1997 World Snooker Championship against Mick Price[194] to his 2018 English Open maximum against Allan Taylor.[195]

Achieved in 5 minutes and 8 seconds, O'Sullivan's maximum in 1997 also holds the record for the fastest maximum in competitive play. Initially Guinness World Records recorded the time at 5 minutes and 20 seconds,[196] but recent evidence suggests that the BBC started the timer too early on the break.[197] Depending on the timing methodology used, the break took between 5 minutes 8 seconds and 5 minutes 15 seconds,[11] with both World Snooker and Guinness World Records now officially acknowledging the shorter time.[1]

O'Sullivan also holds the record for the total number of century breaks, compiling more than 1,100 century breaks in professional competition. He scored his 1,100th century in his quarter-final match against John Higgins at the Cazoo Tour Championship of 2021.[198]

Footnotes

  1. ^ Having won 9–3, Ronnie O'Sullivan was subsequently stripped of his title and disqualified from the tournament, for failing a drugs test.
  2. ^ This format was based on points. O'Sullivan won 572–258.
  3. ^ This format was based on points. O'Sullivan lost 258–286.

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Further reading