Ronnie O’Sullivan has admitted his confidence remains ‘quite low’ despite rolling back the years to win the World Seniors Snooker Championship for the first time at the Crucible.
The 50-year-old, widely regarded as the greatest player the sport has ever produced, delivered a vintage display in Sheffield as he brushed aside Joe Perry 10-4 in Sunday’s final.
It marked yet another triumphant return to the famous venue for O’Sullivan, who has now lifted eight world titles at the Crucible, including his seven professional world crowns.
The Rocket was in scintillating form throughout the contest, compiling five centuries in the 10 frames he won and leaving Perry with little room to breathe.
Three of those tons came in a blistering opening session, with breaks of 110, 131 and 113 helping him establish a commanding 5-3 advantage.
He then resumed in similarly ruthless fashion during the evening session, firing a superb 129 before sealing victory with a trademark century break of 100 that even included a flamboyant trick shot on the penultimate red.
Yet despite the emphatic scoreline and the £30,000 winner’s cheque, O’Sullivan insisted he is still battling self-doubt after a difficult few years.
Ronnie O’Sullivan has admitted his confidence remains ‘quite low’ despite rolling back the years to win the World Seniors Snooker Championship for the first time at the Crucible
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PA
“I’ve not been playing great for three years. My confidence is quite low,” he admitted after collecting the trophy.
“When I get into little situations, I miss a few. And I never used to miss those balls.
“But if I can get some confidence going, then I’d like to finish my career on a strong note. So that’s my ambition really left in the game.”
Congratulations to the 2026 JenningsBet World Seniors Snooker Champion, The Rocket Ronnie O’Sullivan🚀🏆 pic.twitter.com/oyNX9ghDQu
— Snooker Legends (@Snookerlegends) May 10, 2026
Those remarks offer a revealing insight into the mindset of a player who, even at 50, remains capable of producing snooker of the highest order but continues to wrestle with his own expectations.
O’Sullivan also acknowledged that the tournament had been tougher than the scorelines suggested.
“Every match I played felt hard. I know it might not have looked it,” he said.
“These guys are experienced competitors. In some of the games, I had to really dig deep.”
The sold-out crowd at the Crucible were treated to a reminder of O’Sullivan’s enduring brilliance, with former world champion John Parrott describing him as snooker’s equivalent of Lionel Messi and Tiger Woods.
Perry, meanwhile, was gracious in defeat and admitted facing O’Sullivan remains one of the toughest tasks in sport.
Ronnie O’Sullivan remains a force of nature at the age of 50
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PA
“Unless you ever get the experience of sharing a table with Ronnie, you’ll never understand what it’s like,” he said.
“You’re just under pressure from the minute you play.
“It was an absolute honour.”
After a week in which he once again dazzled on snooker’s grandest stage, O’Sullivan will now head back to his base in Dublin before returning to action later this week at the Global 900 Championship.
