‘Time is running out’ for O’Sullivan’s eighth world title, but the ‘magic’ might still be there
‘Hopefully the magic’s still there’ – O’Sullivan urged to ‘graft’ and prove he can still win titles
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Ronnie O’Sullivan needs to “put the hours in” if he is serious about winning an eighth world title, but The Rocket’s “magic” might still be there, Alan McManus says. Ahead of his UK Championship opener against Zhou Yuelong on Tuesday – live on TNT Sports and discovery+ – O’Sullivan is back on English soil for the first time since May, when he exited the World Championships with a semi-final defeat to eventual winner Zhao Xintong.
Anticipation was high when O’Sullivan took to the practice table during Monday’s evening session at York’s Barbican, but the 49-year-old is a relative unknown quantity given his lack of time at the table in recent months.
Speaking in the TNT Sports studio, McManus pointed towards O’Sullivan’s ambition of winning an eighth world title – as revealed in an interview with TNT Sports last month – and urged him to “prove” his hunger by putting in practice.
“You have to work hard, whatever your profession is, whether you’re Roger Federer, you’ve got to hit the courts and put the hours in,” McManus said.
“It’s as straightforward as that. He laid his cards on the table with TNT Sports’ nice interview in the last week or two, where he said I’m hungry, I want another world title.
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“So that’s good. He’s just got to go out and prove it. But you’ll only do that if you put in the graft, like everyone else on the tour, and there’s more top players around now.
“Hopefully the magic is still there, I suspect it might be, but obviously time is running out when it comes to winning World Championships. We’re going to find out tomorrow.”
O’Sullivan has undertaken a reduced schedule since the beginning of the 2024/25 campaign, prioritising events in China and Saudi Arabia.
In his more recent appearances, he has cut a more relaxed figure, as opposed to the one who snapped his cue at January’s Championship League and subsequently withdrew from the Masters. That has culminated in a brand of exciting and effective snooker synonymous with O’Sullivan’s hefty reputation, which saw him rattle home a pair of maximum breaks during his semi-final against Chris Wakelin in August’s Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters.
Reanne Evans gauged O’Sullivan’s mood ahead of his UK Championship return – a tournament he has won a record eight times.
“He seemed in good spirits, nice and relaxed,” Evans said in the TNT Sports studio. “[He has] changed to a harder tip, and he’s feeling alright. He said he played with it in Saudi in the first event [which he won in March 2024], it worked there.
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“He’s just going for a different feel, he’s nice and relaxed. A relaxed Ronnie is a dangerous Ronnie.
“We never know what we’re going to get with him, but I’m glad he’s here, I’m glad he’s playing, because he does bring that buzz around the arena. Not just for the fans, but the players as well.”
Should O’Sullivan come through his opener against Zhou, he could face Mark Selby in a blockbuster second round, providing Selby defeats Lei Peifan on the adjacent table in Tuesday’s afternoon session.
Watch and stream the 2025/26 snooker season, including the UK Championship, live on TNT Sports and discovery+
