Ronnie O'Sullivan has revealed he's got around five to 10 years left before he retires ahead of the World Snooker Championship.
The 48-year-old will go up against Jackson Page in the first round of the competition on Wednesday as he continues his bid to win all of the triple crown events in the same year.
O'Sullivan has already won the Masters, beating fierce rival Ali Carter during a dramatic final back in January.
The Rocket is the favourite to win this year's World Championship, having previously secured glory in 2001, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2020 and 2022.
Ronnie O'Sullivan has opened up on retirement ahead of the World Snooker Championship
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And O'Sullivan, speaking prior to the start of the competition, has insisted he's 'got' around five to 10 years left before he walks away from the sport.
"I like to win and I've got another five to ten years, and I've got to enjoy the work that I'm doing," he said.
"I know I've won tournaments but winning and playing to a certain standard don't always match up.
"I've played a lot better and not won anything all season.
"It doesn't really make sense but I haven't really enjoyed it, I've just been struggling to get through the ball smoothly.
"Being happy with the game is what it's all about, or if that's not the case, I've got to get around not playing well and accept it, but I'm not good at accepting it."
O'Sullivan has dominated snooker during the course of his career.
The veteran is arguably the best player in the sport's entire history.
But O'Sullivan insists he doesn't 'know much about snooker' despite his sensational exploits at the crucible over the years.
"I've been trying to think how I want the next five to ten years to be," he stated.
"I've been working with a coach and we've done a lot of testing in some ways and I've realised I don't know much about snooker.
"I thought I did.
"I know how to get a ball in a hole, and I know how to compete and win it, and I've got an idea of what needs to happen.
"I know I have to get this bit of wood and this ball and if I do this, that should happen.
"But I haven't been that efficient in the last few years and I've just tried to accept that I needed a bit of help, so I've gone back to a coach that worked with my old coach, and I'm going back through the stuff that worked for me."
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Ronnie O'Sullivan claims he doesn't know much about snooker ahead of the World Championship
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Page will be a good test for O'Sullivan on Wednesday.
The 25-year-old is seen as a player who can make a big impact in the coming years ahead.
And Page insists he's capable of challenging O'Sullivan if he finds his form, having recently reached the semi-final of the World Open.
"If I bring the form I had in China like in the Selby match, I can easily do the same against Ronnie," Page admitted.
"He's not invincible, so if I play like that I'll win, if I don't it may be a different story.
Ronnie O'Sullivan is targeting glory at the World Snooker Championship
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"Everyone has the goal of going to win it. With Ronnie first, it doesn't make a difference to me, I've got to beat the table and who's in front me.
"I'll be looking forward to playing the greatest of all time on the greatest stage but I'll still want to win.
"I've played him once this season, it was a decent game.
"I had one chance in five frames. I think he had three centuries and I had one.
"Another time, I was younger, about 15, in the UK Championship, he beat me 6-3 so hopefully I'm due a win."
