Ronnie O’Sullivan has been sent a stark message by one of his biggest rivals
Ronnie O’Sullivan has opted out of more tournaments
Judd Trump has encouraged Ronnie O’Sullivan to stay away from snooker until he’s mentally prepared to return.
O’Sullivan’s appearances have again been rare this season. He recently missed the Players Championship before opting out of the current Welsh Open. The latter competition is the 10th professional UK tournament that O’Sullivan has either pulled out of or not entered this season, including the Masters and the Champion of Champions.
He has been pursuing a more tranquil lifestyle since departing the UK and moving to Dubai with his wife, Laila Rouass. It has been widely regarded as a principal factor behind the 50-year-old’s decision to bypass numerous British tournaments over recent months.
Asked about O’Sullivan’s decisions and latest displays, Trump maintained that his absence has little impact on fellow players and advised The Rocket not to come back until he is prepared to “put the work in.”
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“To be honest, I don’t even think about it, no,” Trump told SportsBoom. “It’s not until you mentioned it that I realised that he’s not here.
“He’s an amazing player, but the way’s he’s been playing recently, it’s been quite poor. I think it’s better for him to take that time out and [return] when he is willing to put the work in.”
Trump went on to suggest that O’Sullivan’s fellow ‘Class of 92’ member, John Higgins, possesses a stronger mentality.
“The more you get older and the less he [O’Sullivan] plays, the less sharp he’s going to be and it’s just going to get harder and harder,” added Trump.
“It’s going to be difficult for him now. I think John’s mentality is a little bit different from him. He’s willing to put the work in and that’s why he’s probably got that little bit more consistency.
“You know, Ronnie can turn on it any point, but I think he’s a little bit more vulnerable. He used to be invincible against some players; he’d only have to turn up and they’d kind of crumble, wouldn’t they?
“And now it just doesn’t seem like that kind of happens as much. People are a lot more comfortable playing him. I’m sure there’s gonna be one tournament in the next year or two. He’s going to be unbelievable. He’s still capable of amazing things.”
Trump also highlighted O’Sullivan’s difficulties with his cue, suggesting he hasn’t yet discovered the right equipment to recapture his previous form.
“I think he’s still struggling with his cue as well,” he said. “I don’t think he’s found the right cue from what I’ve seen when we play. The mistakes he makes, he never made with his old cue, never.”