Ronnie O'Sullivan

Seven-time World Champion and the most naturally gifted snooker player ever produced.

Ronald Antonio O'Sullivan was born in Wordsley, West Midlands in 1975, and grew up in Chigwell, Essex. He made his first century break at 10, his first maximum at 15, and turned professional in 1992. He won his first World Championship at the Crucible in 2001 at 25. He has since won seven World Championships — equalling Stephen Hendry's record, then surpassing it with his seventh in 2022 — along with seven UK Championships and seven Masters titles, making him the most decorated player in the history of the sport. He has made more maximum 147 breaks in competition — 15 — than any other player. His most famous maximum came at the 1997 World Championship, completed in five minutes and eight seconds — the fastest ever recorded. His natural ability to pot the ball is, by near-universal consensus among players and commentators, the finest ever seen: his right and left-handed cue ball striking, his positional awareness and his ability to score from almost any position on the table are without comparison. A complex personal life, including his father's imprisonment during his teenage years, and long-documented struggles with mental health and motivation have made him the most compelling and sometimes frustrating figure in the sport. Off the table he has written novels, run in ultra-marathons and raised sheep in rural Essex.

Ambidextrous, lightning-fast potter with natural flair and attacking mindset

Widely regarded as the greatest snooker player of all time

• World Champion 7x
• UK Champion 8x
• Masters 8x