The biggest name in snooker, Ronnie O’Sullivan is widely considered as the best player of all-time.
The seven-time world champion has won 41 ranking events and has broken nearly every record in the game.
Now his next steps are to move to the Middle East after his 17-7 defeat by Zhao Xintong in the World Championship semi-finals earlier this May.
The defeat stopped O’Sullivan from having a chance to break another record – the most World Snooker Championship titles – but he was full of praise for 28-year-old Xintong.
During the match, O’Sullivan was seen struggling to find the right cue to play with as he altered between two different cues from different manufacturers. It was a tournament, by his own volition, that saw the Rocket struggle to get going amid a lack of form coming into the Crucible.
But following his defeat, O’Sullivan made the surprising admission that he intends to leave the UK to live in the Middle East, in a post-match interview with BBC Sport.
Ronnie O’Sullivan made a surprise admission following his defeat by Zhao Xintong at the Crucible
The great of the game struggled for consistency coming into the competition without any form
His opponent would however go on to become the first ever Chinese world snooker champion
‘I think I am going to be moving out of the UK this year. I’ll be moving away to the Middle East. We’ll see how it goes – I might be back in six months.’
Whilst it looks like O’Sullivan is set to be moving to the Middle East, it wouldn’t be the first time he has upped sticks and moved on – he has previously moved into and lived on a luxury canal boat.
Considering his rich history of winning title after title, one would have thought the snooker champ would have splashed out on a fancier and much bigger boat like a super yacht.
The 49-year-old spent £130,000 on a 60-foot canal boat back in 2018 which he moored at Regent’s Canal, allowing him to traverse the rivers of north and east London.
Speaking to Matt Smith on Eurosport, O’Sullivan said: ‘It’s no big yacht but it’s alright.
‘I lived on a boat about seven or eight years ago in London and I loved it.
‘I spent about three or four months living on it but couldn’t use it because I had to get back to work – but I always had it in my mind that I’d buy another one.’
His water pad was not your usual canal boat with comfortable furnishings such as a sofa, rug and a television as well as an indoor fireplace to give that cosy feel.
Back in 2018 the Rocket splashed £130,000 on a 60-foot canal boat where he lived for a time
It came complete with a double bad and en-suite bathroom as well as state-of-the-art kitchen
The boat remarkably contains a double bed and en-suite bathroom with tiled floors and redwood vanity units with granite work tops.
Moreover, the humble abode included a state-of-the-art kitchen with a double oven and a wooden oval table, perfect for hosting friends on an evening.
O’Sullivan spoke of the boat, saying it was much better than being stuck in a hotel room, allowing him to invite his pals over to watch the snooker.
Yet, just a year later, the Rocket put the floating home for sale for £129,950 without looking to jump ship to another canal boat.
In recent years, O’Sullivan has struggled on and off the table, previously stating that he has taken medication to deal with anxiety.
He had a three-month absence from the sport earlier in the season, leading to speculation about his future, as he pulled out of the German Masters and the UK Open.
Given he has a connection to the Middle East already with a snooker academy in Saudi Arabia, the move abroad may be the change he needs to come back to the Crucible revitalised.
O’Sullivan said in his BBC Sport interview: ‘A new life somewhere else [in the Middle East].
O’Sullivan already has ties to the Middle East with a snooker academy in Saudi Arabia
‘I don’t know how that is going to pan out.
‘I will still try to play snooker but I don’t know what the future looks like for me really.
‘It is a big part of my life but I have to try and figure out what my future looks like, whether it’s playing or not.’
Suggestions of O’Sullivan putting the cue down could certainly be inferred from these quotes, but perhaps the move to the Middle East away from Essex is the key to his future in the sport.