Ronnie O'Sullivan - Personal Life

Personal Life

He has been labelled a perfectionist, and highly self-critical, even in victory. He suffers from clinical depression, and has had drug-related problems, but currently works with a sports psychologist. O'Sullivan's mother is from Sicily. He met former girlfriend Jo Langley at Narcotics Anonymous, and he has two children with her. He was reported to have split with Jo in early June 2008. He has another daughter from a previous relationship.

In 2003, media sources carried reports that O'Sullivan had converted to Islam, but despite his self-professed interest in the faith, these reports were proven to be false. O'Sullivan also espouses an interest in Buddhism, having spent many lunchtimes at the London Buddhist Centre in Bethnal Green. However, he denies having a firm commitment to any religion.

One of O'Sullivan's hobbies is motor racing. In 2004, he appeared on Top Gear as the "Star in a Reasonably Priced Car", and finished with a time of 1:47.3 around the test track in a Suzuki Liana. He also succeeded in clearing a snooker table of four reds plus all the colours faster than the Stig was able to drive O'Sullivan's own Mercedes SL 500, with its "147" number plate, around the track. Over the weekend of 15–16 August 2009, in the Volkswagen Racing Cup at Silverstone using a Volkswagen Jetta with the car number "147", he drove two 20-minute rounds. In the first round, he spun off into a gravel trap, but fared better in the second, in which he finished 14th.

Read more about this topic:  Ronnie O'Sullivan

Famous quotes containing the words personal and/or life:

    Personality and mind, like moustaches, belong to a certain age. They are a deformity in a child.... Leave his sensibilities, his emotions, his spirit, and his mind severely alone. There is the devil in mothers, that they must provoke personal ... response from their infants.
    —D.H. (David Herbert)

    Time, fall no more.
    Let that be life time falls no more. The threat
    Of time we in our own courage have forsworn.
    Allen Tate (1899–1979)