Ronnie O’Sullivan tells rival to copy Usain Bolt training approach as pro status hangs in the balance
Ronnie O’Sullivan has told fellow snooker star Luca Brecel to ‘put a lot into training’ like Usain Bolt amid his sharp dip in form. The Belgian risks losing his space on the tour next season, with him teetering on dropping out of the top 64 in the world. It’s been a tough year for the BelgianGetty And O’Sullivan thinks he needs to emulate the Caribbean’s best-ever athleteGetty He won the World Championship at the Crucible in 2023, but has crashed down the rankings since. Brecel’s received another gutting blow after suffering a 6-5 defeat at the hands on Jak Jones in York on Monday, causing him to exit the UK Championship in the first round. Before the crushing loss, O’Sullivan offered Brecel advice – and he pointed to eight-time Olympic athletics gold medallist Bolt. “A happy person is normally a happy snooker player, but you have got to put the work in,” O’Sullivan told Eurosport studio when asked about his rival. “Even Usain Bolt had to put a lot of training in if he wanted to win medals, and he is probably the most talented, gifted specimen of a sportsman there has ever been. “But if you watch his documentary he worked really hard. If he didn’t, he would not win, and that applies to everybody.” Bolt is widely regarded as the world’s greatest sprinter, but that didn’t stop him from still training and working hard. And that hard work paid off incredibly, as he still sits as a three-World Record holder and a sporting icon. O’Sullivan wants to see his rival follow the Jamaican icon’s lead, albeit by applying his approach to a different sport. Brecel has revealed he’s started implementing a fitness regime in an effort to get back on track. O’Sullivan is a seven-time world championGetty “Luca has to make his own mind up and where he wants to go in the game,” O’Sullivan – who was also knocked out of the first round in York – continued. “The one thing I will say is rankings are not that important. “When you have that amount of talent, if you decide to put the work in, you will win tournaments. “The ball is in his court and only Luca can make those decisions.” Brecel has also been travelling to and from tournaments in his home in Mallorca. Seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry also weighed on the 29-year-old’s situation – and he couldn’t understand his decision to add travel strain to his hectic routine. Hendry has also spoken about Brecel’s approachGetty Speaking to the Express, he said: “As a snooker player, I cannot buy into what he’s doing, flying in from Mallorca between matches and stuff. But then, I don’t know what his priorities in life are. “Maybe snooker isn’t his priority any more, and you’ve got to respect that. If that’s what he wants to do, that’s it. “For me, as someone who dedicated their whole life to win, I don’t understand it. “But it’s his life. Luca’s different to anyone else on the tour in that respect. “Even when he won the World Championship, he was travelling back and forth to Belgium. “But who can criticise when he goes on and wins the World Championship? “He could win the next tournament and prove everyone wrong. From my point of view, I couldn’t do it and I don’t understand it. “But I look on his Instagram and it looks like he’s having an incredible life, so good luck to him.”
Ronnie O’Sullivan has told fellow snooker star Luca Brecel to ‘put a lot into training’ like Usain Bolt amid his sharp dip in form.
The Belgian risks losing his space on the tour next season, with him teetering on dropping out of the top 64 in the world.
He won the World Championship at the Crucible in 2023, but has crashed down the rankings since.
Brecel’s received another gutting blow after suffering a 6-5 defeat at the hands on Jak Jones in York on Monday, causing him to exit the UK Championship in the first round.
Before the crushing loss, O’Sullivan offered Brecel advice – and he pointed to eight-time Olympic athletics gold medallist Bolt.
“A happy person is normally a happy snooker player, but you have got to put the work in,” O’Sullivan told Eurosport studio when asked about his rival.
“Even Usain Bolt had to put a lot of training in if he wanted to win medals, and he is probably the most talented, gifted specimen of a sportsman there has ever been.
“But if you watch his documentary he worked really hard. If he didn’t, he would not win, and that applies to everybody.”
Bolt is widely regarded as the world’s greatest sprinter, but that didn’t stop him from still training and working hard.
And that hard work paid off incredibly, as he still sits as a three-World Record holder and a sporting icon.
O’Sullivan wants to see his rival follow the Jamaican icon’s lead, albeit by applying his approach to a different sport.
Brecel has revealed he’s started implementing a fitness regime in an effort to get back on track.
“Luca has to make his own mind up and where he wants to go in the game,” O’Sullivan – who was also knocked out of the first round in York – continued.
“The one thing I will say is rankings are not that important.
“When you have that amount of talent, if you decide to put the work in, you will win tournaments.
“The ball is in his court and only Luca can make those decisions.”
Brecel has also been travelling to and from tournaments in his home in Mallorca.
Seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry also weighed on the 29-year-old’s situation – and he couldn’t understand his decision to add travel strain to his hectic routine.
Speaking to the Express, he said: “As a snooker player, I cannot buy into what he’s doing, flying in from Mallorca between matches and stuff. But then, I don’t know what his priorities in life are.
“Maybe snooker isn’t his priority any more, and you’ve got to respect that. If that’s what he wants to do, that’s it.
“For me, as someone who dedicated their whole life to win, I don’t understand it.
“But it’s his life. Luca’s different to anyone else on the tour in that respect.
“Even when he won the World Championship, he was travelling back and forth to Belgium.
“But who can criticise when he goes on and wins the World Championship?
“He could win the next tournament and prove everyone wrong. From my point of view, I couldn’t do it and I don’t understand it.
“But I look on his Instagram and it looks like he’s having an incredible life, so good luck to him.”
