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Ronnie O’Sullivan has laid out plans to play into his mid-50s and become the greatest golden oldie in sport.
The 46-year-old eclipsed his former coach Ray Reardon as the oldest World Championship winner when he beat Judd Trump 18-13 in Monday’s final.
O’Sullivan also equalled Stephen Hendry’s record of seven world titles and will give himself the best possible chance of surpassing the Scot by competing at the Crucible for at least another two years.
Ronnie O'Sullivan claimed a record-equaling seventh World Snooker title on Monday
But the world No1 believes he is capable of carrying on for as long as another decade, admitting he is inspired by other sporting legends who have defied Father Time, including Roger Federer and Tiger Woods.
‘If I can get another two World Championships out, that will be great and we will assess it from there, but that is a minimum,’ said O’Sullivan.
‘With snooker there’s a shelf life and I have to accept that. But I’m just trying to prolong my career as long as I can.
‘I could probably play to my mid-50s if I wanted to. Tournaments like this will probably be a bit of a strain at that age. I could probably pitch up and win one or two matches, but I’d have no chance of winning it.
A teary-eyed O'Sullivan wipes his face as he takes in his monumental achievement
‘All the other tournaments, why not? I enjoy being on the circuit, I enjoy being on the road. If I’m enjoying it and having fun with it then I’ll play
