There are few snooker players you’d want to get on the wrong side of less than Ronnie O’Sullivan.

The Rocket by name and by nature, O’Sullivan has been known for his fiery tendencies at the table in the past.

As recently as January 2025, the seven-time world champion was seen bashing his cue against the table moments before withdrawing from a competition.

But one feud with a fellow snooker star saw the pair avoid contact for three whole years.

And it wasn’t just any old snooker star either. Instead, fellow great Stephen Hendry and O’Sullivan didn’t speak for three years after the latter stormed out of a match at the UK Championship in 2006.

O’Sullivan was trailing 4-0 to Hendry in their quarter-final match-up before the Wordsley-born star packed up his things and walked out of the competition’s venue.

It left the snooker world stunned, but there was nobody more surprised than Hendry himself, who opted to give his opponent the silent treatment thereafter, as explained by O’Sullivan himself.

Speaking all the way back in 2010, O’Sullivan said: ” After I walked last time Stephen – who is one of my heroes – fell out with me and didn’t talk to me for about three years. But I love the guy and he’s the greatest snooker player of all time.”

The duo did patch things up and were able to rekindle their relationship. He added: “We’re talking again now and text each other a lot so there’s a mutual respect.”

Fast forward over a decade later and the two even sat down to discuss to the incident themselves, with Hendry telling O’Sullivan during a video on the Scot’s YouTube channel: “People still ask me about that. Have you ever watched it back and seen my face?”

O’Sullivan replied: “It’s the best! You were absolutely dumbfounded.”