“I hate this bit” ” F**k that. I feel ill. I feel ill with pressure” an emotional O’Sullivan in tears” after he was told the consequences….
On Wednesday, Ronnie O’Sullivan takes on Jackson Page in the World Snooker Championship with the goal of winning a record-tying eighth Crucible title. The Rocket hopes to have the opposite feelings from his last final victory in 2022, when he overcame Judd Trump 18–13 but had a difficult time overcoming his nervousness before taking the big stage.
O’Sullivan has never been one to keep his feelings to himself, and he recently talked about getting a psychologist to work with him in Sheffield. However, during his Amazon documentary last year, his mental health issues were never so evident to the public.
When O’Sullivan faced Trump two years earlier, he had jumped out to a 12-5 lead. However, he faltered after the break and dropped five of the following six frames, giving his opponent the opportunity to reverse the lead and make an incredible comeback.
The 48-year-old went back to his dressing room with psychologist Steve Peters in between sessions and started crying. O’Sullivan acknowledged being “scared” and doubting his own skills as he struggled with anxiety on the largest snooker stage.
An upset O’Sullivan said, “I hate this bit.” “My legs used to feel heavy and jelly-like, but now they are fatigued. It’s an awful sensation. My technique is making me doubt it. Now, I consider “how am I going to play.” Fuck that. I feel unwell. A pressure that makes me sick.
“It’s just awful. I simply detest it, buddy, I detest it. I’m exhausted and feel f***ed. It feels like I have terrible stage fright. I detest it. I have the need to cry. As hell. I feel so tight that I don’t even want to face this. I can’t. Every time I take a shot, I think I’m going to miss it and that I’m f***ing gone. My vision is hazy. To be really honest, I detest this so much that I almost don’t want to face it. I’m afraid, buddy, really afraid.”
