Ronnie O’Sullivan’s future in snooker remains up in the air, but Judd Trump has previously claimed that his long-time rival will go down as the greatest player to ever hit the baize

Judd Trump previously heaped praise on Ronnie O’Sullivan, claiming he will be remembered as the greatest snooker player ever.

O’Sullivan’s presence on the professional circuit has been patchy this year, withdrawing from numerous tournaments following his last competitive match at the Championship League in January. Fans are now eagerly awaiting his expected return at April’s World Snooker Championship.

In the wake of his latest withdrawal from the World Grand Prix in Hong Kong, O’Sullivan shared his own disappointment, explaining: “I am very disappointed not to be competing. I had been eager to make my comeback in Hong Kong and have put in my utmost effort but unfortunately must consider my health.

“I wish to sincerely thank the organisers and all the Hong Kong fans for their support.” Despite a string of recent withdrawals, current world rankings leader Trump has previously shared his belief that O’Sullivan’s legacy as the GOAT (greatest of all time) is assured due to his historic accomplishments.

Following his defeat to O’Sullivan in the 2022 World Championship final, where he lost 18-3, Trump said: “Massive congratulations to Ronnie. He’s been a pleasure to share the table with. He’s always been so good to me throughout my career, letting me practise with him when I was young, and try to learn things off him.

“It’s an amazing achievement and he will go down as the best player of all time. He keeps getting better and better. I think his determination, dedication… you can see it out there, he barely missed a ball over the 31 frames.”

This victory notched up O’Sullivan’s World Championship tally to seven, equalling the record held by Scottish star Stephen Hendry. However, as the 49-year-old eyes a record-breaking eighth title in April at The Crucible, some of his peers have voiced concerns about his readiness for the challenge.

Speaking on Hendry’s Cue Tips YouTube channel in February, Jimmy White said: “He’d like to get to eight to beat your (Hendry’s) record, but you’ve got to get your act together. You can’t keep not playing in competitions and then expect… okay, he did have that year out and then come back and win it.

“But he still practices, he’s still playing all the time. I’m sitting on Eurosport sometimes and he says he hasn’t played, and the cameramen have just got the balls out for him for four hours.

“I think he will get it together for the Crucible for this year. Whether he’ll win it or not I don’t know.” He added: “I think he will prepare, but the problem I’ve got with him – he’s got no match (sharpness). He’s not sharp because he hasn’t played any matches.”

Anticipation is mounting for the 2025 World Snooker Championships, set to unfold at Sheffield’s esteemed Crucible Theatre from April 19 to May 5, 2025, where a host of snooker greats including O’Sullivan, Trump, Kyren Wilson, Mark Allen, and Mark Selby are expected to compete.

Trump, who has beaten O’Sullivan 16 times over the course of his star-studded career, and Hendry just once, will hope to assert his dominance on the world stage once more throughout the tournament.