Ronnie O’Sullivan admits REGRET over extraordinary X-rated ‘sort your f***ing life out’ rant at Ali Carter – after defeating his old rival in last year’s Masters final
Ronnie O’Sullivan put his explosive, expletive-laden rant at Ali Carter down to ‘heat of the moment stuff’ but admitted regret over the outburst.
The seven-time world champion claimed a record eighth Masters title last January after defeating Carter 10-7 at Alexandra Palace, in a clash that preceded a fiery war of words between the two.
Carter described the crowd – very much on O’Sullivan’s side – as ‘morons’ who ‘haven’t got enough brains’.
He also alleged that O’Sullivan ‘snotted’ on the floor. The Rocket, meanwhile, ferociously hit back, saying: ”He needs to sort his f*****g life out,’ said O’Sullivan. ‘I’m not going to skirt around it anymore, tip-toeing on egg shells around someone like that. He’s a f*****g nightmare.’
A year on, the 49-year-old has conceded that his rant was ill-advised but insisted that there is no longstanding feud between the two men.
‘It’s just heat of the moment stuff,’ said O’Sullivan. ‘If I feel like I’ve got to say something I’ll say it.
Ronnie O’Sullivan has admitted regret over his outburst at Ali Carter after last year’s Masters final
The 49-year-old won a record eighth title after defeating his old rival 10-7 at Alexandra Palace
O’Sullivan delivered a middle finger riposte when engaging in his extraordinary rant at Carter
‘It’s nothing personal, just heat of the moment stuff. He’s entitled to say what he’s got to say, like I am.
‘Do I regret saying it? Probably. I wish I’d kept my mouth shut and been a bit more polished with my answers, a bit more diplomatic. But I’ve said what I’ve said and that’s fine.
‘It’s only words innit? He goes back to his life, his family and I do. We only have to meet on the table, it’s not like we’re best mates but it’s fine, we’re both pretty grown up.’
Interestingly, the 2024 exchange was not the first time the pair had fail to see eye-to-eye. In 2013, O’Sullivan started a debate about ‘burnout’ within the sport when he claimed he was ‘tired and jaded’ despite taking a year out from snooker.
After Carter lost 13-8 to O’Sullivan in the second round, he took aim at his opponent’s excuses after claiming luck was on his side.
The bad blood also boiled over at ‘barge-gate’ at the 2018 World Championship in Sheffield. O’Sullivan barged Carter in the ribs and snapped: ‘That’s for being Mr Angry’.
They exchanged words as Carter sealed a shock win in the last 16, one of only three in his 26 matches against O’Sullivan at that point.
O’Sullivan and Carter will return to the Masters at Alexandra Palace, which gets underway on Sunday. The snooker legend is coming off a poor showing at the Championship League, where he withdrew from the competition after losing four of his five matches.
In his final game, O’Sullivan’s string of bizarre antics, including an apparent lewd gesture and hitting his cue on the table, overshadowed his 3-2 defeat by Robert Milkins.
