Ronald Antonio O'Sullivan is an English professional snooker player, and current world number one. Widely recognised as one of the most talented and accomplished players in the sport's history, he has won the World Snooker Championship seven times, a modern-era record he holds jointly with Stephen Hendry. He has also won a record eight Masters titles and eight UK Championship titles for a total of 23 Triple Crown titles, the most achieved by any player. He holds the record for the most ranking titles, with 41, and has held the top ranking position multiple times. O'Sullivan is known for ambidexterity; he is right-handed but can play with his left hand when needed.
After winning amateur titles including the IBSF World Under-21 Snooker Championship, O'Sullivan turned professional in 1992, aged 16. He, John Higgins, and Mark Williams all turned professional in the same season, and have since become known as the "Class of '92" for their collective dominance of the sport. O'Sullivan won his first ranking event at the 1993 UK Championship aged 17 years and 358 days, becoming the youngest player to win a ranking title, a record he still holds. He is also the youngest player to win the Masters, having claimed his first title in 1995, aged 19 years and 69 days. Now noted for his longevity in the sport, he is the oldest winner of all three Triple Crown events, having won his seventh world title in 2022, aged 46 years and 148 days; his eighth UK Championship title in 2023, aged 47 years and 363 days; and his eighth Masters title in 2024, aged 48 years and 40 days. As of 2023, he has made a record 31 appearances in the final stages of the World Snooker Championship at the Crucible, surpassing the previous record of 30 appearances set by Steve Davis.
O'Sullivan made his first competitive century break at age 10 and his first competitive maximum break at age 15. He is the only player to have achieved 1,000 century breaks in professional competition, a milestone he reached in 2019, and which he has since extended to over 1,200 centuries. He has made the highest number of officially recognised maximum breaks in professional competition, with 15, and holds the Guinness World Record for the fastest competitive maximum break, compiled in a time of 5 minutes and 8 seconds at the 1997 World Championship.
During his career, O'Sullivan has experienced depression, mood swings, and drug and alcohol abuse. Known as a controversial and outspoken figure on the professional tour, he has been disciplined on several occasions by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association for his behaviour and comments. Outside his playing career, he works as a pundit for Eurosport's snooker coverage and has written crime novels, autobiographies, and a health and fitness book. He features in the 2017 miniseries Ronnie O'Sullivan's American Hustle, which shows him competing against pool hustlers in the United States, and in the 2023 documentary film Ronnie O'Sullivan: The Edge of Everything. He was awarded an OBE in 2016.
