Snooker star Ali Carter has revealed that he has largely cut ties with Ronnie O’Sullivan, admitting that he sees little point in speaking to his long-time rival.
Carter and O’Sullivan were once close, having practised together regularly as teenagers at Witham Snooker Bowl. Carter credits those sessions with helping him prepare for the 1999 Benson & Hedges Championship, a tournament he went on to win.
However, Carter said their relationship changed when they began meeting in competitive tournaments. According to the Englishman, O’Sullivan behaved differently towards him during competitions, something Carter initially took personally.
Speaking on the Talking Snooker podcast, Carter explained that he eventually decided to stop making an effort with O’Sullivan after feeling that the seven-time world champion was not interested in talking to him.
Their relationship became particularly strained during the 2018 World Championship, when O’Sullivan appeared to shoulder-barge Carter during their match. Carter said O’Sullivan later approached him at a hotel in York and apologised for the incident, prompting Carter to believe the dispute had been settled.
The pair subsequently met at the 2020 Northern Ireland Open in Milton Keynes. Before the match, Carter had told Alan McManus that there was no longer any bad blood between them because O’Sullivan had apologised.
After O’Sullivan won their semi-final, however, Carter said the situation became confusing. According to Carter, O’Sullivan later denied ever apologising at the York hotel and suggested Carter had imagined the conversation.
Carter said the incident convinced him to distance himself from O’Sullivan completely rather than become involved in further disagreements.
The former world championship finalist insists there is no active hatred between them today. Instead, he described their relationship as essentially nonexistent, saying there is “no relationship,” but also “no hate.”
Carter’s comments underline how a friendship that began during their teenage years eventually developed into one of snooker’s more complicated rivalries.
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