Snooker legend Ronnie O'Sullivan has admitted that he once feared he would be spending his time in a drug den, rather than competing for World Championships.
O'Sullivan is widely regarded as one of the best players the sport has ever seen, having won seven world championships. He will be defending his crown when this year's edition of the tournament begins at the Crucible next Saturday.
But life could have been far different for the 47-year-old, who early in his career received treatment for addition to drugs. And the Englishman has opened up on his journey since that treatment and his respect for those battling addiction.
“If you’d asked me in 1998 or 1999 where I’d be in 24, 25 years, I’d never have said, ‘Winning the World Championship, feeling good, come through whatever you’ve come through’," he told The Sun.
“A lot of the emotion was reflecting back on, ‘OK, I’ve made it’. And I don’t mean winning a tournament. I mean I’ve made it to 47, not f***ing in some nuthouse or a f***ing drug-den looking for my next fix.
“I’ve a tremendous respect for addiction and people losing their way and getting caught up. There are a lot of great musicians, great sportspeople, a lot of fantastic people who have succumbed to it.
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"Sometimes just because they’re trying to manage their life. Or the stresses that come with it. Some people go to gambling. Some people to drinking. Some people to food. Addition is a powerful thing. I’m an addict. I know that."
O'Sullivan heads into this year's World Championships as the sport's highest-ranked player. The Rocket has automatically qualified for the first round and will find his opponent after Friday's final qualifying round, labelled Judgement Day.
He eased into the final last year, before defeating Judd Trump to lift the title, equalling Stephen Hendry's record for World Championships won. Despite his success though, Anthony McGill, ranked 21 in the world, does not believe he gets the respect he deserves.
“I don’t think any snooker players get the recognition," said the Glaswegian. "I know Ronnie is the biggest draw…but even Ronnie. For the standard he plays to - does any sports person out there play to a higher standard of their sport than Ronnie?
“There might be people who match it like Roger Federer in tennis, but nobody is as good at their game as what Ronnie is at this. And even he doesn’t really get the recognition.
"He’s not really a superstar is he? People know him, they have heard of him, but he’s not. In terms of John [Higgins], I’d say the same. It’s the way he is.”
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