Jason Ferguson, chairman of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, has praised Ronnie O’Sullivan for his immense impact on snooker, crediting the seven-time world champion with elevating the sport’s profile since turning professional in 1992. As O’Sullivan nears his 50th birthday in December, Ferguson believes his influence and stature extend far beyond the snooker table.
“Ronnie is undoubtedly a sporting superstar,” Ferguson said, highlighting O’Sullivan’s dazzling style, rapid play, and charisma as traits that captivate audiences and transcend snooker itself. Speaking on Stephen Hendry’s YouTube channel, Ferguson called him “a genius,” noting that athletes from other sports often recognize the sheer difficulty of snooker and admire O’Sullivan’s mastery.
Over his legendary career, O’Sullivan has amassed an unmatched 41 ranking titles, including seven World Championships, eight Masters, four Champion of Champions trophies, 15 maximum breaks, and 1,289 century breaks. He also remains the youngest-ever ranking event winner, having defeated Stephen Hendry 10-6 at the 1993 UK Championship at just 17 years old.
Ferguson believes O’Sullivan’s legacy as the sport’s greatest is secure, and his cultural relevance continues to grow. Tennis legend Novak Djokovic, who met O’Sullivan for the first time at Wimbledon last year, admitted to being a longtime admirer. “I’m his fan,” Djokovic said. “I watched snooker just because of him.”
Despite recent challenges with form and equipment, O’Sullivan returned to action in May after a four-month break, reaching the World Championship semi-finals before falling to Zhao Xintong, who went on to become the first Chinese world champion. Stephen Hendry remarked that Zhao made the game look “ridiculously easy” a trait he’d only previously seen in O’Sullivan.
Ferguson sees Zhao as a rising global star capable of pushing snooker to new heights. The two could meet at the Shanghai Masters, running from July 28 to August 3. O’Sullivan, a five-time champion at the event, is seeded into the last 16 and will face Barry Hawkins or Wu Yize on July 30. Zhao, whose suspension following a match-fixing investigation ends July 1, will return to face Chris Wakelin or a wildcard in the same round.
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