In a candid conversation on Monday, snooker icons Ronnie O’Sullivan and Mark Selby addressed the importance of mental health within the sport. Their discussion followed Selby’s impressive 6-1 victory over Ali Carter in the first round of the 2025 Masters.
After his dominant performance, which featured two century breaks, Selby joined O’Sullivan, Alan McManus, and presenter Radzi Chinyanganya in the Eurosport studio. The group initially analyzed Selby’s performance before turning to a more personal topic: the ongoing challenges Selby has faced with his mental health.
The three-time former Masters champion, who has been open about his struggles in the past, shared that he has made strides in managing his condition this season but emphasized the importance of taking things “day by day.”
“I’m okay at the moment,” Selby explained. “I’m managing it a little better right now.”
The 40-year-old added that his journey has included regular consultations with a doctor over the past year. “He sort of told me how to control it a little bit more,” Selby shared. “The way he explained it is it’s like losing a loved one. You’ll never get over it, but you’ll learn to deal with it a bit better.”
Selby described the overwhelming nature of his mental health struggles, which seemed to appear suddenly. “Before, the position I was in, it was all new to me,” he said. “I didn’t know – it just hit me from nowhere.”
Recalling his sessions with his doctor, Selby revealed that he had unknowingly been suffering for a while. “I was waking up and just thinking that some days you feel good, and some days you don’t. But he said it was like a combination of that building up, and sooner or later it’s like a bottle of Coke – once you shake it and open the top, it explodes.”
Reflecting on his experience, Selby acknowledged that his mental health struggles could resurface at any time, but he has gained tools to better handle them. “I’ve dealt with it a little bit better,” he said. “But I’m sure it’ll rear its head again at some point. It’s just how I deal with it.”
Selby also reflected on his performance at this year’s World Championship, where he admitted he might have been better off not playing. “I wasn’t in a great place going in,” he confessed. “But I’m learning how to manage it better.”
This open discussion from Selby and O’Sullivan is a reminder of the growing recognition of mental health issues within professional sports and the importance of seeking support to navigate the pressures of competition.
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