Ronnie O'Sullivan has dismissed his chances of winning BBC Sports Personality of the Year despite being bookies favourite and doesn't particularly event want the award.
The Rocket made yet more history on Monday night when he became snooker's oldest world champion at the age of 46 and equalled Stephen Hendry's record of seven Crucible crowns.
Over five millions viewers tuned in to watch the latest chapter of an incredible career that first hit the headlines way back at the 1993 UK Championship when he won the first of his 21 Triple Crowns and 39 ranking titles at the UK Championship as a prodigious 17-year-old.
Since then his astounding genius on the table - and controversy off it - has seen him transcend snooker and become one of the most popular sporting figures this country has ever produced, but strangely he's rarely been nominated by the BBC panel and in 2020 finished outside the top three in a year when Lewis Hamilton won the Formula One title.
No snooker player has won the SPOTY award since Steve Davis was the last snooker player to pick up the prestigious trophy back in 1988, and after O'Sullivan was snubbed from the 2016 nominations he famously said: "You are competing with Formula 1, tennis, golf and the Olympics. They give it about 10 seconds on BBC Sports Personality – it’s a complete insult to the sport. But that’s what they think about it and what they think it justifies, and that says a lot.
"Snooker is becoming a nothing-type sport – it’s a bit like a garage sale, but with other sports it’s like shopping at Harrods. They’re playing so much of it, it’s cheap TV. I think snooker has lost that respect among other sports – the Olympics are such a massive thing now as are sports like golf and tennis.
"You look at Formula 1 and see beautiful people and you look at snooker and think ‘God’ – you look at some of the qualifiers and it costs a fiver to get into Barnsley. It’s all about media, money and business – and snooker is nothing compared to Formula 1, tennis and the Olympics. They have business people involved and they have a say in who’s big and who’s not."
Scroll down for his latest comments and odds
Despite becoming snooker's undisputed greatest player, O'Sullivan still doesn't think he has any chance of landing the prize.
He said: "I won’t ever get that one. I don’t know why. I don’t think I’ll be in the hunt. I don’t think so."
When asked whether he'd want to be win it, he said: "It’s not one I want to win. I’m not bothered about awards, trophies or accolades.
"I just want to enjoy my life, be happy and have some peace. We’re not here forever so it’s about being content. These 17 days tested my contentment and my peace so I’m pleased it’s over."
O'Sullivan is well clear with the bookies while it's somewhat ironic - and potentially a nightmare for the BBC - that his nearest challenger Tyson Fury doesn't want the award either!
Sports Personality: Sky Bet Odds
- Ronnie O'Sullivan - 7/2
- Tyson Fury - 8/1
- Emma Raducanu - 12/1
- Harry Kane - 14/1
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