Mark Selby and Ronnie O’Sullivan have had one of the more engaging rivalries in snooker over the last two decades, but the Jester says there was never a problem between them, even if the on-table battles were intense.
The two snooker greats have had plenty of memorable battles, with Selby the only player who can boast that he has beaten O’Sullivan in the finals of all three Triple Crowns.
The two Englishmen bring different approaches to the game, with the Rocket labelling Selby ‘The Torturer’ in his 2013 autobiography and more recently ‘Midnight Selby’ due to his often lengthy games.
As long ago as 2017, though, O’Sullivan was praising Selby on and off the table, saying: ‘I know he’s in the game for the right reasons and he’s a good lad.
‘I know he’s a fierce competitor on the table and I know that if he does sometimes get a bit slow and play long, drawn-out frames, that’s not because he’s playing me. I know it’s not intentional, he’s just a tough match player.’
In January last year the pair had an eye-opening chat about mental health in snooker in the Eurosport studio, which received great praise for its open and honest nature.
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Selby says that any animosity between the two in the past was exaggerated and, while they were obviously not close, he never saw an issue between them.
‘We never really had a problem anyway. I always used to say hello to him, he’d say hello,’ Selby told Metro.
‘Ronnie just used to keep himself to himself, years ago. He has his people with him, but I never ever used to ignore him. I’d always give him the time of day.
‘Back years ago, if he had stopped and chatted to me, then I’d have stood and chatted. I would never have blanked him.
‘Now, obviously, we’re both getting older. Obviously, I’ve got nothing but respect for him as a player. He’s the greatest player to play the game. And I think over time probably, I’ve gained his respect from the matches we’ve played.’
O’Sullivan got the better of Selby at the recent Wuhan Open, winning 5-3 in the quarter-finals after telling his old rival that he was really struggling with his game when they spoke at the previous tournament, the China Open.
‘We were chatting a bit in China,’ said Selby. ‘He was telling me how gone he was in Taiyuan and then we play each other in Wuhan, and he absolutely bashes me up and plays great from 2-0 down, so, I’m not sure about that.
‘When he turns up he’s still, obviously, the man to beat. I know he’s not playing in as many events now, probably hence why he’s not playing as good, because he’s not as match-sharp as some of the others.
‘But when he still plays to a good level like he did against me in Wuhan, he’s still a match for anyone.’
RESPECT 👊
Mark Selby’s message to Ronnie O’Sullivan as he left the arena following their quarter-final:
“Good luck, pal. Good luck.”#WuhanOpen pic.twitter.com/VTRKrONJye
— WST (@WeAreWST) August 27, 2026
O’Sullivan is struggling for form, only really playing well in short bursts, but his performance against Selby may well have been his best of the season so far.
‘He played great against me and then he played pathetic again in the next game against [Chang] Bingyu!’ Selby said. ‘One of my mates says, “you’ve got to see it as a compliment that he got himself up for it.”
‘I’m not too sure. He struggled before he played me, played great against me, and then struggled after. I’m thinking, that’s not really a compliment. I’m not taking that.
‘I just think now with him, and he’ll probably say it himself, he just puts a few more under-par – not bad performances, I would never say bad – but under-par performances in for him. Whereas many years ago, he was literally either brilliant and unplayable, or very good.
‘Now sometimes he will play a match, and us watching we’ve seen the level he’s played to over the years. He’s still not played bad, but considering what he was playing to, he’s probably not played as good.’
O’Sullivan has talked up the possibility of being into the last two years of his epic professional career, which began in 1992.
The Rocket is finding it difficult to play near his best and feel comfortable at the table and says he has given himself until the 2028 World Championship to improve or he will hang up his cue.
Selby feels it was the same with another seven-time world champion, Stephen Hendry, who retired in 2012 despite reaching a Crucible quarter-final as he could just not hit the heights he had done in the past.
‘It’s the same with Hendry, isn’t it? He just couldn’t accept the fact that he couldn’t play to that level anymore, so he ended up retiring,’ said Selby.
‘It’s the same with Ronnie. You see his interviews and he just can’t accept playing under-par, because he’s got his goals and he’s got his his targetsand if he’s not reaching them, then he’s not happy.
‘But I think that’s the same with a lot of the top players, the winners. Obviously, you’re all striving for that perfect game, which don’t exist, but every now and again, you might play the perfect match, but when you don’t, you’re your own worst critic.’
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