At 47, snooker legend Ronnie O’Sullivan is still going strong. He won his seventh world title last year, and while he didn’t make it to the final this year, he remains at the top of his game. But his career has not been easy. O’Sullivan’s struggles with addiction and mental health issues have been well documented. His father was jailed for murder when he was 16, and his Sicilian mother Maria also spent time in jail for tax evasion, leaving him to look after his little sister Danielle. O’Sullivan has also battled with drugs, alcohol and depression, and his misspent youth has been well chronicled in his two previous autobiographies.
But in his latest book, Unbreakable, O’Sullivan focuses more on how he’s learned to take care of himself. He’s become less intense, he says, and more philosophical. He runs, paints, and hangs out with people he considers true friends, far away from the celebrity circuit. He’s been in a relationship with Holby City actress Laila Rouass for a decade (they briefly split last year) and has a good relationship with both his parents. His father was released from prison in 2010 after serving 18 years, and he now lives in a campervan. O’Sullivan sees him all the time.
Even though he’s still at the top of his game, O’Sullivan is looking forward to his snooker career coming to an end. He predicts he may continue for another couple of years, or longer – but while he’s still doing well, he won’t quit. And he’s learned to separate his snooker life from his other interests, a balance that has helped him love the sport again. “We still do the things we love, but we have a way of detaching ourselves from that for a certain amount of time to give ourselves a break and live life a bit – and then have the confidence that when I go back to it, it’s still going to be there,” he says.
O’Sullivan credits much of his improved mental health to his mentor, sports psychiatrist Dr Steve Peters. “I’ve learned everything from Steve Peters. He has given me the ability to work it out for myself now, to get on with it and not be afraid to confront stuff and know how to get on top of it,” he says. He also uses a diary he’s kept for the last 10 years to help manage his anxiety, putting smiley, neutral or miserable faces against entries and then working out what triggers him.
O’Sullivan admits in the book that he hasn’t been the best parent. He doesn’t see his eldest child Taylor-Ann and hasn’t been a hands-on parent to his two other children, after his relationship with their mother broke down. “Given the opportunity, I would have liked to have done loads more, but it got to a point where I thought it was best for everyone, for my sanity and their sanity, that as long as they’re healthy, they’re good, I’m going to play the long game. I’ll be here.” His experiences have made him stronger, he insists, and he hopes he may forge a better relationship with them as they get older.
O’Sullivan has learned to take care of himself, and he hopes his experiences will inspire others to do the same. “I hope people will go out and will start to listen to their instincts. At some point, it can be the simplest thing, whether it’s walking your dog, going for coffee with a friend, hanging out with certain people that make you feel good about yourself… sprinkling your life with little things that just feel good.”
