As Ronnie O’Sullivan turns 50, let’s look back at some of the most memorable moments from a career that has rewritten snooker history. Since turning professional in 1992, O’Sullivan has set almost every major record in the sport and is widely considered its greatest-ever player.
Nicknamed “The Rocket,” O’Sullivan has collected a record 23 Triple Crown trophies, seven World Championships, eight Masters titles, and eight UK Championship victories. He also holds the all-time marks for century breaks, maximum 147s, and ranking titles, with 41 overall, surpassing Stephen Hendry’s previous record of 36.
Despite a shock early exit from this year’s UK Championship, his career has been defined by countless iconic achievements. BBC Sport highlights 10 standout moments from his illustrious journey:
Youngest ranking-event winner:
In 1993, at just 17 years and 358 days old, O’Sullivan became the youngest player to win a ranking title, defeating Stephen Hendry in the UK Championship final. It was the first major milestone of a record-setting career.
Fastest 147 in history:
O’Sullivan’s first professional maximum remains one of the sport’s legendary moments: a 147 completed in only five minutes and eight seconds at the 1997 World Championship, with an average shot time of 8.8 seconds.
147 with attitude:
During a 2010 match against Mark King, he paused on eight points to jokingly ask whether there was a prize for a maximum break. After learning there wasn’t, he initially refused to pot the final black, until referee Jan Verhaas convinced him otherwise.
Returning from a break to defend his world title:
After taking nearly a full season off, O’Sullivan returned to the Crucible in 2013 and astonishingly retained his World Championship crown. He didn’t lose a single session and made six centuries in the final alone — a record.
Reaching 1,000 centuries:
In 2019, he became the first player to record 1,000 century breaks, doing so in the Players Championship final against Neil Robertson. He now leads the all-time list with 1,313.
Fastest match at the Crucible:
In 2020, he set a new benchmark for the quickest Crucible match, beating Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 10–1 in just 108 minutes, 41 minutes faster than the previous record.
World number one again:
O’Sullivan regained the top spot in the world rankings in 2019 after a nine-year gap, then entered the 2022 World Championship as world No. 1 once more.
Seventh world title:
At the 2022 World Championship, he defeated Judd Trump 18–13 to secure his seventh world crown, tying Hendry’s modern-era record. At age 46, he also became the oldest world champion in Crucible history.
Oldest and youngest UK champion:
With his 2023 UK Championship win over Ding Junhui, he extended his record to eight titles and became the oldest UK winner just two days shy of his 48th birthday three decades after becoming the youngest.
Two 147s in one match:
Earlier this season, O’Sullivan produced two maximum breaks in his Saudi Arabia Masters semi-final win over Chris Wakelin, becoming the oldest player ever to make a 147.
These moments, among many others, reinforce Ronnie O’Sullivan’s status as snooker’s most extraordinary talent.
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