Snooker icon Stephen Hendry has opened up about Ronnie O’Sullivan’s private life, suggesting the snooker superstar does not have ‘many close friends’. The pair share the honour of being the only players to win seven world titles.
‘The Rocket’ has been snooker’s leading light for years and is still clinching trophies, bagging his 41st-ranking title victory at the World Grand Prix in January. The 48-year-old also won the Masters during the same month, besting his old adversary Ali Carter.
O’Sullivan has flirted with the idea of retirement but seems intent on surpassing Hendry’s number of world championships before bowing out. Hendry, who retired from snooker for the second time this year, opened up about his relationship with O’Sullivan on his Cue Tips YouTube channel during a chat with Carter.
Discussing their complex friendship, Hendry said: “He’s not the easiest person. Down the years I’ve known him, sometimes I go months without really speaking to him and other times I spend a lot of time with him. I don’t know if it’s deliberate or not but he doesn’t have many close friends, I don’t think. He doesn’t really socialise much with other players.”
This revelation about O’Sullivan did not necessarily come as a shock to his long-time rival Carter, who was once a regular practice partner of the snooker legend as a teenager. However, their friendship seemed to wane as Carter’s star began to rise in 1999, with Hendry referring to their fallout as the “elephant in the room”.
The rivalry between O’Sullivan and Carter notably escalated during the 2018 World Championship finals. A memorable incident occurred when O’Sullivan deliberately shoulder-barged Carter while moving away from the table at The Crucible, sparking a fiery war of words.
Carter opened up about his relationship with O’Sullivan, telling Hendry: “To be fair, I don’t know too much about him, I say what I see. I hold no malice now really.
“I’m not around him enough for him to feature in my life. We know he’s a great snooker player and all that, but as regards to anything else, I couldn’t tell you.
“I let people make their own minds up. Whatever you say, the staunch Ronnie fans will always slaughter you. I choose to keep my mouth shut.”
Source link : https://www.express.co.uk/sport/othersport/1928138/Ronnie-O-Sullivan-Stephen-Hendry-snooker
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Publish date : 2024-07-25 17:43:32
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