Ronald Antonio O'Sullivan, OBE[5] (born 5 December 1975)[6] is an English professional snooker and pool player.[7] He is widely regarded as the greatest Snooker player of all time. He is noted for his rapid playing style, mercurial temperament, and his ambivalent relationship with the sport, from which he has taken prolonged sabbaticals and repeatedly threatened to retire.[8] O'Sullivan is based at the Legends Snooker Academy in Leytonstone, England, United Kingdom.Ronald Antonio O'Sullivan, OBE[5] (born 5 December 1975)[6] is an English professional snooker and pool player.[7] He is widely regarded as the greatest Snooker player of all time. He is noted for his rapid playing style, mercurial temperament, and his ambivalent relationship with the sport, from which he has taken prolonged sabbaticals and repeatedly threatened to retire.[8] O'Sullivan is based at the Legends Snooker Academy in Leytonstone, England, United Kingdom.
A childhood snooker prodigy, O'Sullivan made his first century break at the age of 10, and his first maximum break when aged 15. He turned professional in 1992, at the age of 16, and soon earned the nickname "The Rocket", because of his rapid playing style.[9] He achieved his first major professional success when he won the 1993 UK Championship at the age of 17 years and 358 days, making him the youngest player ever to win a ranking title—a record he still holds. He is also the youngest player to have won the Masters, having captured his first title in 1995 at the age of 19 years and 69 days. His record in Triple Crown events now stands at five World Championships, a record seven Masters, and five UK Championship titles. His career total of 28 ranking titles puts him in joint second place (with Steve Davis and John Higgins) behind Stephen Hendry, who has 36, and his career earnings of £8,998,634 put him in first place on snooker's all-time prize-money list.[10] O'Sullivan has held the world number one ranking on multiple occasions, most recently during the 2009/2010 season. His other achievements include ten Premier League titles and winning the Nations Cupwith England in 2000.Known as a prolific break-builder, O'Sullivan holds the record for the most competitive century breaks with 877. He also holds the record for the most ratified maximum breaks in professional competition (13), and for the three fastest competitive maximum breaks, the quickest of which was compiled in 5 minutes and 20 seconds.[11]