• Snooker

O'Sullivan happy to sacrifice world ranking

ESPN staff
December 1, 2010
Ronnie O'Sullivan insists he is not bothered by his ranking © Getty Images
Enlarge

Ronnie O'Sullivan has confirmed he will continue to put his family first, even if it is to the detriment of his world ranking.

The former world No. 1 has reduced his schedule in order to spend time with his children Lily and Ronnie, of whom he shares joint custody with his ex-girlfriend Jo Langley.

And despite winning his ninth Premier League title against Shaun Murphy on Sunday, O'Sullivan, who did not defend his Shanghai Masters title in September, insists he is not willing to compromise his role as a father.

"I'm a single parent and I'm not going to be taking them around the world to events to win ranking points," O'Sullivan told BBC Radio 5. "I might slide down the rankings but at least I will have peace of mind.

"If you have children then you know the love you have for children - it's much stronger than a game of snooker, so I'm pretty content.

"I'm not bothered by rankings. I've won the world title three times, four Masters titles and four UK [Championships]. If it all ended tomorrow, I'll know I've had a great career."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
Close

ABOUT COOKIES

To help make this website better, to improve and personalize your experience and for advertising purposes, are you happy to accept cookies and other technologies.

More Info Here Cookie Choices