Ronnie O'Sullivan made feelings clear after BBC Sports Personality of the Year snub
Ronnie O'Sullivan has taken aim the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year after only being nominated twice despite his standing in snooker
Snooker legend Ronnie O'Sullivan previously criticised the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award, dismissing it as nothing more than a "popularity contest". The 50-year-old has also argued that his sport lacks sufficient mainstream recognition for him to ever claim the prestigious accolade.
O'Sullivan has received nominations on two occasions for the award, with this year's ceremony scheduled for Thursday, though he failed to crack the top three in either 2020 or 2022. Widely regarded as snooker's greatest ever player, he boasts an unprecedented 23 Triple Crown titles, comprising seven world championships, eight Masters triumphs and eight UK Championship victories.
O'Sullivan hasn't lived up to his usual lofty standards, making a nomination this year highly unlikely. He suffered early elimination from the UK Championship and endured a humiliating 17-7 thrashing at the hands of Zhao Xintong in the World Championship semi-finals.
Despite occasional glimpses of his extraordinary talent this year, O'Sullivan's last tournament victory came at the 2024 Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker. Yet in 2023, when he captured the UK Championship and progressed to the World Snooker Championship quarter-finals, he was overlooked for nomination.
Previously, he had attributed his inability to secure the award to the BBC's limited coverage of his sport. Stuart Broad, Frankie Dettori, Mary Earps, Alfie Hewett, Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Rory McIlroy all secured places on the shortlist ahead of 'the rocket' in 2016, leading to him sharing his thoughts.
"You're competing with Formula One, tennis, golf and the Olympics," he commented. "They give it like 10 seconds on BBC Sports Personality - it's a complete insult to the sport. But it's what they think of it and what they believe it warrants, and that says it all really.
"Snooker is becoming a nothing-type sport – it's a bit like a garage sale, but with other sports it's like shopping at Harrods. They're playing so much of it, it's cheap TV. I think snooker has lost that respect among other sports – the Olympics are such a massive thing now as are sports like golf and tennis."
He also suggested that the award isn't something he's particularly keen on winning. In 2020, he said: "I won't ever get that one. I don't know why. I don't think I'll be in the hunt. I don't think so. It's not one I want to win. I'm not bothered about awards, trophies or accolades.
"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," he said on the Eurosport Seventh Heaven Show.
"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.
"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. 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."
This year's Sports Personality will take place on Thursday, December 18. England footballers Hannah Hampton and Chloe Kelly, rugby star Ellie Kildunne, darts sensation Luke Littler, golfing legend Rory McIlroy and 2025 F1 champion Lando Norris are all vying for the honour.
