Ronnie O'Sullivan has heartbreakingly admitted that he's scared to practice as the World Snooker Championship rapidly approaches.
The Rocket's form has dwindled over the past 12 months and, at the current moment in time, it's unclear if he'll play at the Crucible later this month.
O'Sullivan has won the World Snooker Championship seven times over the years, with his last triumph coming back in 2022.
But now, speaking to The Sun, the 49-year-old has admitted he's unsure if he'll play - while also revealing that he's scared to practice.
Ronnie O'Sullivan has heartbreakingly admitted that he's scared to practice as the World Snooker Championship rapidly approaches
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“I’ll make a decision when I feel like I’m ready to make a decision. That will be it," he said.
“I know I have nothing to prove. But I was getting to the point where I was scared to even go near a table.
“Not even the match table, just a practice table. And that has been going on for a long time.
“I tried to play through it. I tried and I tried and I tried. I was getting no enjoyment out of it.
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“Even that season when I won five tournaments, it was just hard. I couldn’t keep going on struggling.
“At some point you’ve got to try and enjoy the game. I can only enjoy it if I’m playing half decent.”
He continued: “I’ve got practice sessions booked up on the 14th, 15th and 16th.
“I’ll make a decision after those three good sparring sessions that I have arranged.
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Ronnie O'Sullivan last won the World Snooker Championship back in 2022
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“Until then, I’ll be working as hard as I can to try and figure out the problem.
“It’s hard. It’s really hard. I never thought I’d be in this situation where I didn’t feel like I’d have the confidence to go and play to be honest with you.”
O'Sullivan has also admitted that he's currently on the lookout for a new cue.
He says he's yet to find one that he's 'comfortable with', having previously binned his cue after losing in the Championship League earlier in the year.
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O'Sullivan has now revealed that the cue is 'unrepairable'.
And he's also admitted that he regrets his actions, too.
He said: “Unrepairable. It’s a bit of memorabilia now. It’ll be getting sold off.
“I do regret it, really. Because it was my cue. It’s hard to find another one.
Ronnie O'Sullivan has admitted he's 'struggling' as the World Snooker Championship creeps closer
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“What happened was just coming. I have done it before. And it’s not the game — it’s me really.
“I have just been struggling for so long now. I just couldn’t do it anymore, to be honest with you. I couldn’t.
“And I’m still struggling now, to be honest.
“I literally have had enough of playing what I call unacceptable snooker.”