Ronnie O’Sullivan’s SPOTY claim: ‘I would have won it seven times if I played golf or tennis’

Ronnie O’Sullivan believes he would have won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award “seven or eight times” if snooker was recognised like golf or tennis.

Speaking to promote his exclusive new Eurosport two-hour feature programme, Seventh Heaven, the Rocket revealed his frustration at missing out on the famous SPOTY gong during his illustrious career and said he was arguably Britain’s most successful sportsman.

His run in Sheffield saw him installed as the early favourite for SPOTY 2022, although he has since slipped off top spot following the Lionesses’ historic win at the European Championship on home soil.

“If it was taken on your achievements for what you do in the sport, I would have probably won it a few times by now,” O’Sullivan told Eurosport.

“So to not even get in the reckoning, I sometimes question what is the BBC Sports Personality? What does it stand for?

“If I can’t win it at least three or four times with the career I’ve had, then it probably doesn’t matter what I do.

“I could probably win every tournament, not lose a match, make 12 maximums and they would still find a reason to not give it to me.

“I kind of think what’s the point of entering a race that you can’t win? So I don’t pay too much attention to it because I can’t think of any British sportsman that has dominated their sport, been as successful at their sport as I have.

“I’m trying to figure out why I don’t fit in. It’s OK, it is what it is. I don’t feel any less of a player or a sportsman because of it.”

O’Sullivan has won a record 21 Triple Crown titles across the World Championship, UK Championship and Masters, widely considered the most prestigious tournaments in snooker.

However he has been snubbed from the SPOTY shortlist for the majority of his record-breaking career, with the Rocket belatedly earning his first nomination in 2020 after lifting his sixth world title.

He finished outside the top three in the public vote that year as Lewis Hamilton scooped the award, coincidentally for his record-equalling seventh Formula 1 world title.

England star Beth Mead is the current favourite after being voted Player of the Tournament at Euro 2022 and sharing the golden boot with Germany striker Alexandra Popp, while captain Leah Williamson is also in the frame.

O’Sullivan is third favourite with most bookmakers behind Mead and England men’s striker Harry Kane, whose presence on the final shortlist depends on his side’s progress at the Qatar World Cup later this year.

“I can’t think of any other British sportsman that’s been as successful as I have. There probably is one but I can’t quite think of one,” O’Sullivan continued.

“Breaking the major record, 21 majors, equalling Stephen Hendry’s seven world titles, I think that resonates with people.

“I’ve been around a long time and the British public have supported me really, really well.

“It would be nice [to win SPOTY] but obviously I understand that there are other sportspeople out there that maybe come ahead of me in the popularity stakes. It’s probably more of a popularity contest and what type of sport you play.

“If I was a golfer or a tennis player, I would probably have won it seven or eight times. 10 times! But I’m not, I’m a snooker player, so it probably doesn’t get the recognition as other sports do.”

Previous winners include Andy Murray, Mo Farah and Bradley Wiggins. Nick Faldo was the last golfer to win the award in 1989 after winning the Masters, the year after Steve Davis became the first and only snooker player to win the award following his fifth world title during the sport’s heyday.

Emma Raducanu won the event in 2021, although the 19-year-old is unlikely to be on the shortlist this year after failing to back up her stunning run to the US Open title.

The 2022 Awards take place on December 19, the day after the World Cup final in Qatar. The winner of SPOTY is selected via a public vote from a pre-selected shortlist.

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