Ronnie O’Sullivan, considered by many to be the greatest snooker player of all time, is mentoring the sport’s future stars. O’Sullivan, 50, has 41 ranking titles, including seven world championships and eight Masters crowns.
O’Sullivan has become a mentor to Zhao Xintong and Wu Yize as the sport sees a new wave of talent emerge.
O’Sullivan’s Support for Zhao Xintong
Zhao defeated O’Sullivan in last year’s World Snooker Championship semi-final. Zhao then won the trophy, defeating Mark Williams in the final.
Following the frame against O’Sullivan, Zhao exchanged words with his opponent. O’Sullivan then revealed the support he gives to Zhao. “I know we’ve got a really nice relationship, I’m always trying to help him if I can,” O’Sullivan said.
Zhao confessed O’Sullivan is his hero. He also revealed he hadn’t wanted to win the match, preferring to see O’Sullivan win his eighth world title.
Zhao said: “I can’t believe that. I need to say thank you to Ronnie because he has helped me a lot before. He’s my idol. I’ve just tried to enjoy the Crucible. It’s an amazing time for me and I just want to enjoy it because I don’t know how many times it can happen here. I’ve played here and sometimes the crowd is helpful for Ronnie and he deserves that. He is a legend here so I needed to control myself. To be honest I didn’t want to win this time because I wanted to see him win his eighth here.”
Wu Yize Thanks O’Sullivan for Encouragement
Wu disclosed O’Sullivan’s impact on his career. The 22-year-old reached the World Snooker Championship semi-finals for the first time after defeating Hossein Vafaei. He thanked O’Sullivan for the encouragement he’s provided throughout his snooker career.
Wu revealed that the pair practised together before Wu won the International Championship last year. He said: “We met a few times during the practice. We messaged each other occasionally to talk about matches. I really appreciate his support.”
Revealing the guidance he provided to Wu on achieving success, O’Sullivan sa
O’Sullivan’s commitment to nurturing snooker’s future is evident through his mentorship of emerging stars like Zhao and Wu.