Ronnie O’Sullivan opens up about his battle with substance abuse
Snooker legend Ronnie O’Sullivan has candidly discussed his struggles with substance abuse that affected his early professional years, reports BritPanorama.
In an interview with TNT Sports before this weekend’s UK Championship in York, the 49-year-old elaborated on how he became engulfed by alcohol and drugs during the 1990s.
The seven-time world champion, who started his professional career at just 16, expressed gratitude for the public support he’s received but made it clear he does not seek sympathy. “It’s life – life throws you whatever, and you have to deal with it,” he said, acknowledging his struggles with effectively managing life’s challenges.
O’Sullivan revealed his deep remorse regarding the choices he made in his late teens and early twenties. “If I could turn the clock back, I’d do things so much differently,” he stated, identifying the period between ages 19 and 25 as particularly significant for change.
He reflected on the considerable damage those years caused to his career and personal life, admitting, “I think I caused a lot of damage in those years to my game, which in effect caused a lot of damage to my off-the-table sort of way of life.” He further noted that this experience left him feeling “quite vulnerable, quite unconfident.”
O’Sullivan drew parallels between his experiences and those of actor Charlie Sheen, having recently watched a documentary about Sheen’s own struggles with addiction. “I just watched the Charlie Sheen documentary, and he went for about 30 years,” O’Sullivan remarked, acknowledging that he managed to escape addiction much earlier.
The snooker champion noted his relative fortune in breaking free after three years, stating, “I got out early. I got out after three years. So I had a result,” while recognising the severity of Sheen’s lengthy battle, observing, “Wow, man, he’s lucky to be alive.”
He candidly elaborated on the extent of his substance abuse, detailing prolonged periods of excess: “Binges, long binges. Days. Days, yeah, days,” he shared, offering insight into his darkest moments. Despite the eventual fallout, he admitted the allure of his lifestyle, reflecting, “Don’t get me wrong, the first two or three years were great. We had a great time.”
However, as he candidly noted, the enjoyment was short-lived. “But then it gets to a bit of a point where, like he says, it’s like fun, and then it’s fun with problems. Then it’s just problems,” he concluded, illustrating the high cost of his choices.
As O’Sullivan prepares for the UK Championship, his journey through darkness serves as a stark reminder of the burdens that often accompany fame and success in sport.
