Credit: X
The 48-year-old professional snooker and current world number 1 player, Ronnie O'Sullivan, who was recognized as one of the most talented and accomplished players in the history of sport, has decided to withdraw from next week's Welsh Open tournament. Sullivan after winning the Masters and World Grand Prix with victories over Ali Carter and Judd Trump will not feature in this month's competition at Llandudno.
Ronnie O'Sullivan, ahead of his scheduled first-round match against Liam Graham on Monday, released a statement on X, where he spoke about suffering from "stage fright".
Sullivan wrote, "Morning guys, I wanted to let you know that I've decided I'm not able to play in Llandudno next week. It's hard to explain but for years I've suffered from stage fright at times, brought on by anxiety. It's not something I can predict or control but I try to manage it as best as I can."
O'Sullivan added, "I'm sorry to everyone who's bought tickets but I just can't get my cue out when I feel like this and I think this [is] what's best for me right now."
He concluded, "I still want to be around the tournament so I'll be doing some work with Eurosport and I hope to see you all there. He has previously also opened up about how anxiety has affected his snooker career.
