John Higgins reveals true Ronnie O’Sullivan thoughts after ‘not close’ comment | Football | Sport
John Higgins has declared that Ronnie O’Sullivan is the only player who could conceivably coach him, despite acknowledging that the two are not friends. Throughout his legendary snooker career, Higgins has largely gone it alone, choosing not to seek the guidance of a coach or mentor.
Now aged 51 and still competing at the highest level, the four-time world champion has no plans to alter his approach. Higgins has quite reasonably questioned who could possibly offer him any new insight into his own game. The sole name that springs to mind is one of the very few players to have surpassed even his own achievements – seven-time Crucible king O’Sullivan. Higgins said: “I just look at these great champions and just think, who’s going to tell me when I’m out there, what player? Maybe O’Sullivan? I don’t know.
“I just think I’d have more experience than other guys trying to come in and tell me. I think I know as much as I’m ever going to know in this game. So that’s why I’ve always just kept to myself.”
That said, any prospect of a partnership between the two appears firmly off the table, given that they remain rivals some 34 years after turning professional at the same time. The duo produced one of the standout matches of the recent World Championship, with Higgins narrowly prevailing in their second-round encounter following a tense final-frame decider.
While both men hold one another in the highest regard – and share similar respect for fellow ‘Class of 92’ member Mark Williams – they are not friends. The Rocket recently told TNT Sports: “I think Mark and John are better friends than I am with them.
“I don’t really get close to anyone on the snooker circuit, because I don’t really hang around tournaments. No one sees me. I’d rather be down the gym or go running, or go to nice restaurants, while a lot of the players hang out with each other.”
Higgins is in agreement that he and the Rocket were never close, once telling the Talking Snooker podcast: “I get asked about that and it’s the same answer I give. I don’t really know Ronnie at all.
“When you think all these years we’ve been on the tour, we’ve never really been that close, I could count on one hand the amount of meals we’ve had together.
“But I’ve got the utmost respect for him as a snooker player, incredible player and I think it goes back to what I said about Mark Williams. Going for the same titles, you cannot be all that friendly with each other. Respect of course, but being friends, nah. We’re different characters as well, the three of us, totally different characters.”
Despite that mutual admiration, there have been occasional moments of tension away from the baize. In 2021, Higgins was left frustrated when O’Sullivan suggested youngsters shouldn’t bother taking up the game as it was no longer a “sexy sport” anymore.
The Scot hit back, saying: “I thought it was a disgrace what he was saying. That he’d be saying to young kids, ‘Don’t play snooker.’ I thought that was dreadful for someone as good as that to sit there and say that.”
Whether friends or not, the duo will resume their legendary rivalry when the 2026/27 season gets underway.
