Ronnie O'Sullivan says winning eighth World Snooker Championship title is last ambition - 'That would be nice'
Updated 28/01/2026 at 00:20 GMT
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Ronnie O'Sullivan says he has one last big ambition in snooker: to win an eighth world title. The 50-year-old claimed a record-equalling seventh Crucible crown in 2022. Now he wants to go one better. O'Sullivan is in German Masters action in Berlin, where he beat Long Zehuang 5-1 and faces Ali Carter in the third round. Live coverage of the German Masters is on TNT Sports and discovery+.
O'Sullivan purrs in German Masters opener with clearance in first frame
Video credit: TNT Sports
Ronnie O'Sullivan has admitted his one last remaining ambition in snooker is to win an eighth world title.
O'Sullivan has had one of sport's truly fabled careers, since he turned professional in 1992. The Englishman claimed his seventh world title in 2022 - equalling the modern-day record set by Stephen Hendry - and has also won eight UK Championship titles, and eight Masters crowns.
O'Sullivan is back in action this week at the German Masters in Berlin, live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
Speaking to World Snooker Tour on Tuesday, after his 5-1 win against Long Zehuang, O'Sullivan made clear what his biggest priority within the sport remains.
"I think that would be my one last ambition left in snooker really - to get the eighth world (title)," O'Sullivan said.
"It would be eight, eight, eight, that would be nice."
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Ronnie O'Sullivan won his seventh world title in 2022
Image credit: Getty Images
O'Sullivan has only played in patches again this season, and recently pulled out of the Masters at Alexandra Palace for medical reasons.
The 50-year-old believes he may not have enough match play under his belt for this year's tournament, but certainly isn't ruling out that he can produce the goods at the Crucible.
"I think I might have left it a little bit late for the worlds, but you never know," O'Sullivan said.
"I'm not saying I can't do it this year. I'd have to do alright in some of these tournaments maybe beforehand.
"Maybe if I get to the quarters of the worlds you never know, it's a different animal, that tournament. Once you get to that stage, anybody can win it really.
"That would be great to do that. I'll just keep trying to peak towards certain tournaments.
"Next year I can hopefully play a bit more and maybe stack a few tournaments together and at least go into the big ones with some kind of match form behind me."
O'Sullivan made breaks of 63, 55 and 93 in claiming a comfortable win over China's Long.
The seven-time world champion next faces a meeting with someone he knows all too well in Ali Carter.
The pair have had a number of memorable clashes over the last quarter of a century, including in world finals in Sheffield in 2008 and 2012.
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A number of other former world champions claimed routine victories at Berlin's Tempodrom on Tuesday.
Mark Selby beat Liu Hongyu 5-1, while Kyren Wilson saw off Anthony McGill 5-1 and Shaun Murphy beat Julien Leclercq 5-1.
The current world champion advanced too, as Zhao Xintong thrashed Jiang Jun 5-0.
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Watch and stream the 2025/26 snooker season, including the German Masters, live on TNT Sports and discovery+
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