Ronnie O'Sullivan makes heart-breaking statement over snooker career after admitting drugs 'regret'
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Snooker legend Ronnie O'Sullivan has withdrawn from the Masters tournament on medical grounds just hours after revealing that taking up the sport was "the worst life choice" he ever made.
The defending champion was due to begin his campaign for a record-extending ninth Masters title at Alexandra Palace on Sunday.
In a candid interview with The Telegraph before his withdrawal, the 49-year-old admitted: "In some ways, I wish I had a different job.
"I'm fortunate in many ways, because it's been good to me, but I wish I'd been good at something else."
Ronnie O'Sullivan pulled out of the Masters hours before it was set to start
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The shock announcement comes just a day after O'Sullivan pulled out of his final Championship League group game.
O'Sullivan expressed a desire for a more intellectually stimulating career path, stating he would have preferred "something more educational, maybe a scientist or something more interesting."
The seven-time world champion dismissed snooker as "more of an entertainment, more of a brutality sport."
He specifically mentioned wanting a life similar to that of sports psychiatrist Steve Peters, or to "inspire people in a different way, like helping to cure cancer."
The comments mark a striking admission from one of snooker's most successful players, who has earned more than £14 million in prize money throughout his career.
O'Sullivan revealed his struggles with the solitary nature of professional snooker, highlighting it as one of the sport's major drawbacks.
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"It's too much time on your own," he told The Telegraph. "I'd rather do something where you're trying to cure something, and you've got a team of people."
The champion explained the psychological toll of competing alone: "I found just being on my own, it's quite hard, because you've got to motivate yourself, you've got to push yourself, you've got to figure out all the answers yourself."
He expressed a preference for team environments, adding: "If I was in a team environment, I think I'd have enjoyed that camaraderie."
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Ronnie O'Sullivan has admitted the loneliness is crippling in snooker
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In a stark admission, O'Sullivan revealed his biggest regret was "going out, drinking, partying, and taking class A drugs."
"At that point in my life, I wasn't happy, and I was doing that to try to be happy," he confessed. "It got hold of me, rather than me being in control of it and that felt like a shit place to be."
While he found recovery and achieved sobriety, O'Sullivan acknowledged he still drinks occasionally: "I'm not clean and sober now though. I still have a good drink and this and that, but I know not to get too involved."
O'Sullivan's withdrawal follows visible frustration during his recent Championship League performance, where he lost 3-2 to Robert Milkins.
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During that match, he was seen hammering his cue against the table after missing an easy pink.
He later disposed of the same cue in a bin, though officials later retrieved it.
His scheduled first-round Masters match against John Higgins at Alexandra Palace will now feature Neil Robertson as his replacement.
The development marks the latest chapter in O'Sullivan's complex relationship with the sport, following years of periodic threats to retire from professional snooker.
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