Ronnie O'Sullivan's relationship with snooker has been long, complicated and full of drama. With seven world championship titles under his belt, he's widely regarded as one of the greatest players to have ever picked up a cue. Despite a rocky start to 2025, which saw him pull out of several tournaments and exhibit erratic behaviour, O'Sullivan showed impressive form at the World Snooker Championship, reaching the semi-finals before being defeated by Zhao Xintong . His turbulent year began with last-minute withdrawals from the German Masters and UK Open , as well as an exhibition match with John Higgins in Helsinki. In a memorable outburst during a Championship League match against Robert Milkins in January, O'Sullivan kicked the table, snapped his cue, and threw it away in frustration . This recent display of temper and frustration led many fans to recall a 2016 interview in which he expressed regret over being introduced to snooker by his father, Ronnie Sr. As O'Sullivan revealed to The Telegraph all those years ago, he said: "I never really chose to play snooker, my dad did that for me, and I wish he hadn't. When I was a kid, I just wanted to have a laugh, potting the odd ball, but I'd probably have been happier playing golf or football, or driving cars for a living – something outside, with an adrenalin buzz. "Dad was ambitious on my behalf. He sat me down when I was 10 and told me that if I wanted to play the sport I should try to be the best in the world , and if I wanted to do that, I needed to stop mucking around. "He used to compare the snooker hall in Chigwell to a creche. It was somewhere he knew I'd be safe and stay put, rather than out on the streets causing trouble. "He had spies there, too – older members would report back to him if I'd got the hump that day and snapped a cue, or wasted my pocket money on the fruit machines." O'Sullivan burst onto the scene as a young sensation when he clinched the 1993 UK Open at just 17 years old. He has since bagged 23 Triple Crown events throughout his career, often holding the World No. 1 spot. Reflecting on his early success, he said: "By the time I was a teenager I was pretty well drilled, winning tournaments all over the place. Apart from the past five years, that time between 11 and 15 was probably the best, most consistent snooker I've played. "Everything went a bit wrong in the following two decades. If that 15 or 16-year-old could see what I'm like now, he'd probably think I'd done OK." Many regard O'Sullivan as the greatest player to ever wield a cue. He currently shares the record of seven world championship titles with Stephen Hendry, who is also widely considered one of the best snooker stars of all time. Yet, O'Sullivan has made it clear that breaking records isn't what drives him. He added: "Throughout my life, I've never been bothered by the records or titles. I always want to be the best I can, but I basically play snooker in the same way I did as a kid – just trying to pull off good shots. "It's why I've dropped in and out of the game – trophies are fun for about five seconds. I prefer the art of it. Some days it's good, other days it's not. I think teenage Ronnie would have some grudging respect for some of the breaks on my YouTube highlight reel, though it's probably nothing he couldn't have done."