Why is Ronnie O’Sullivan called the Rocket? Snooker icon slapped with impressive nickname

The reason behind Ronnie O’Sullivan’s iconic nickname ‘the Rocket’

With seven World Championship titles under his belt, Ronnie O’Sullivan is regarded as one of the world’s top snooker players. O’Sullivan is regarded as one of the best snooker players of all time, having collected three world titles more than any other person.

O’Sullivan showed early aptitude for the sport and was a natural when handling a cue. The West Midlands-born prodigy,

who turned professional in 1992 at the age of 16, swiftly established himself and

made his World Championship debut the following year.

Given the starlet’s potential, it was just a matter of time until O’Sullivan started receiving titles. O’Sullivan broke the record for the youngest winner of a ranking tournament when he won the UK Championship at the age of 17. This record still stands today.

 

In the present day, O’Sullivan, who is 48 years old, has an amazing trophy chest

with 41 ranking titles under his belt. In addition to his seven World

Championship titles, he has won eight UK Championships and three World

Grand Prix championships. In addition, he has won an astounding eight Masters

titles, which when combined with his victories at the World and UK

Championships, complete the coveted Triple Crown in snooker.

On his previous trip to the Crucible, O’Sullivan was defeated by eventual champion Luca Brecel in the

quarterfinals, denying him the chance to make it eight World Championship

victories. The Belgian prevailed in a close match 13–10, but considering O’Sullivan’s

current ranking as the world’s best player, it seems likely that he will be

favored to win the title once more when the 2024 edition takes place in April.

O’Sullivan will tie the record held by the great duo of Fred Davis and John Pulman

for the second-most World Championship championships in

snooker history if he manages to make it eight in the spring. In addition to his

numerous achievements in the game, O’Sullivan is known as “the Rocket,” one

of the most recognizable monikers in snooker.

 

The origin of O’Sullivan’s nickname “the Rocket” dates back to his professional debut season in the early years of his

career. Given his rocket-like playing style, O’Sullivan got the nickname after

winning a best-of-nine-frame match in a record-breaking 43 minutes.

On the circuit, O’Sullivan asserts that his rivals have given him a totally different moniker in its place. O’Sullivan’s contemporaries have nicknamed him the “Ghost” since he isn’t known for mingling with other snooker players at events.

 

“At a snooker tournament, you won’t find me at the venue outside of my matches,” O’Sullivan stated in his autobiography “Unbreakable,” published in 2023. “You don’t witness me socializing with other players. Not because I dislike them, but more because I don’t share any interests with them.

“I think I’ve been the most antisocial snooker player on the circuit for the last 20 years.” I was recently told by one of the players, “We call you the Ghost.”