07 April 2023 , 19:00
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Scottish snooker star Anthony McGill has bemoaned the lack of recognition received by the likes of Ronnie O'Sullivan and John Higgins despite their impacts on sport.
Seven-time world champion O'Sullivan is revered in snooker circles for his accomplishments on the baize, but the sport doesn't have enough representation to expose that talent to global audiences. That's despite the fact McGill believes The Rocket's achievements in his field make him the most accomplished athlete of any kind.
“I don’t think any snooker players get the recognition," said the Glaswegian. "I know Ronnie is the biggest draw…but even Ronnie. For the standard he plays to - does any sports person out there play to a higher standard of their sport than Ronnie?
“There might be people who match it like Roger Federer in tennis, but nobody is as good at their game as what Ronnie is at this. And even he doesn’t really get the recognition. He’s not really a superstar is he? People know him, they have heard of him, but he’s not. In terms of John, I’d say the same. It’s the way he is.”
Higgins holds four world championships of his own and is another name credited with inspiring the next generation of snooker stars. Funding in the sport has become a greater source of debate in recent times, with O'Sullivan among those to criticise organisers for not offering more prize money at major tournaments.
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Does Ronnie O'Sullivan need an eighth world title to cement his legacy as snooker's GOAT? Let us know in the comments section.
Ronnie O'Sullivan is widely regarded as the greatest snooker player of all time despite his divisive personality (Yu Chun Christopher Wong/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)World Snooker chairman Steve Dawson recently made his own comparison between O'Sullivan and Federer, albeit more of a contrast as he encouraged The Rocket to be more of a role model. It's perhaps O'Sullivan's personality that will separate him from other sporting greats in some minds, having long caused consternation as a divisive character.
Federer retired from tennis in 2022, having become the first men's player to win 20 Grand Slam titles, though his tally has since been surpassed by both Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal (22 apiece). All three of those names carry worldwide renown outside their own sport, though tennis does benefit from a more global profile.
Roger Federer is a tennis legend but also a worldwide brand, even to those who aren't fans of the sport (PA)Having missed out on automatic qualification for the Crucible, McGill faces John Astley on Friday in his effort to secure a place at the World Championship. The 32-year-old needs to win two matches at the English Institute of Sport to book his place in Sheffield, where he'll hope to lock horns with some of snooker's superstars.
“It would be great to get back to the Crucible," concluded McGill, who hasn't missed a World Championship since 2014. "When you are a kid watching on TV it looks massive, like Centre Court at Wimbledon. But when you play there, it is tiny.”