has made a surprising confession about fellow snooker stars Stephen Hendry and Steve Davis.
The Rocket has endured a rocky start to the 2024/25 season, most recently crashing out of the English Open in the first round.
O'Sullivan admitted he's contemplating his next steps in the sport, as speculation surrounding a potential retirement begins to heat up.
He hasn't been seen at the table since last month's English Open defeat, with O'Sullivan pulling out of the subsequent British and Wuhan Open tournaments.
But in an interview with , O'Sullivan revealed he wishes he was more like Hendry and Davis.
Reflecting on his career, O'Sullivan revealed: "I wish I was a bit more results-driven and win-driven, like Stephen Hendry and Steve Davis.
"If you're more like that, then you can go 'oh, I won - great. I lost - p****d off. I just need to win next time'. I think for Hendry especially, it was all about winning. They're different animals."
He added: "But I'm not, I'm much more like 'did I play a good game? Did I hit the ball well? Am I enjoying it? Am I feeling the buzz from it?'
"If I'm doing all that, I don't need to win - you just can't wait to get your cue out of your case. It becomes a bit more feeling-based and emotion-based.
"That's probably not the best way to be. In hindsight, I would have much rather been the other way. But you feel how you feel in your heart."
It's an honest, but rather confusing statement from O'Sullivan, who is widely regarded as the greatest snooker player of all time.
When it comes to wins, O'Sullivan has one more than Davis and is Hendry's equal, with the pair having both lifted seven.
But O'Sullivan hasn't shied away from speaking about his mentality struggles in the past, even claiming last month that he's "useless".
O'Sullivan was pencilled in to feature at the Northern Irish Open later this month, but his grand return to the table looks more like being at the International Championship in China.
The world No.5 has been , where a total prize fund of £825,000 is on offer.
A round-one clash against the women's world No.1 could provide O'Sullivan with the perfect platform to get his season back on track.
