"He needs to sort his f***ing life out": Ronnie O'Sullivan's rant against snooker rival Ali Carter after winning Masters explained

Snooker legend Ronnie O'Sullivan went on an expletive-filled tirade against his Masters rival Ali Carter as the two went head-to-head in Alexandra Palace on Sunday, January 14, 2024. O'Sullivan, who won the Masters for a record-tying eighth time, said in a press conference,

“He (Carter) needs to sort his f***ing life out. I’m not going to skirt around it anymore, tip-toeing on egg shells around someone like that. He’s a f***ing nightmare."

This diatribe from Ronnie O'Sullivan came after Ali Carter called the former's fans at the finals "morons" and alleged that O'Sullivan "snotted" on the Masters floor.

The animosity between the two dates back to the 2018 World Championship in Sheffield. The incident, infamously dubbed "barge-gate," saw O'Sullivan barge Carter in the ribs and snap, “That’s for being Mr Angry” at his opponent.

O'Sullivan and Carter have a long-standing feud that began in 2018 (Image via Getty Images)

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"He’s not a nice person": Ronnie O'Sullivan's angry rant against opponent Ali Carter

Ronnie O'Sullivan clapped back against his rival Ali Carter in the press conference after securing his record-extending eighth Masters title on Sunday, January 14. According to The Express, O'Sullivan said:

“Playing snooker against someone like that is a nightmare. He’s not a nice person. It’s not a nice vibe he leaves around the table. I’ve said my piece, I don’t give a s**t. I’ve said it now, done. You know what he’s like, everybody knows what he’s like. He’s got issues. F***ing why has he got issues with me? I’m not having it. I don’t care, grow some balls."

He continued:

“I don’t give a f**k, I don’t give a f**k about any of these snooker players, any of them. The more he brings it on, the more I f***ing punish him every time. He’s just digging a grave for himself. I don’t give a f**k. That’s it, I’ve said my piece.”

He also said that Carter had "beef" with him and he needed to "see a counsellor or something" to "sort his life out" because the two haven't spoken in 20 years. Ronnie O'Sullivan also flipped his middle finger at Carter for "trash-talking" him, saying that the two used to play together when Carter was a kid.

According to The Express, this rant came after Ali Carter got into an altercation with the crowd gathered at Alexandra Palace, who, in a rare display of uproar at a snooker game, were allegedly heckling him when he was playing.

"And there were some morons in the crowd. It’s unbelievable really. It is hard enough to beat him [O'Sullivan], but when you have people shouting on your shot and saying stupid things at important times. My head wanted to come off,” a vexed Carter said.

He also claimed that O'Sullivan "snotted" on the floor, saying:

It’s disgusting quite frankly. No-one wants to say anything, do they? [O'Sullivan] snotting all over the floor and all that. I mean it’s outrageous behaviour from a top professional. If it gets swept under the carpet then for me, it’s not good."

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Ronnie O'Sullivan sets his eye on the triple crown after his eighth Masters win

After beating Ali Carter 10-7 on Sunday, Ronnie O'Sullivan secured his eighth Masters title and set his sights on winning the World Championship for the eighth time in May. This would entitle him to be a part of the covetous triple crown club for winning the UK Championship, Masters title, and World Championship in one season.

Before his eighth Masters win, Ronnie O'Sullivan spoke of his other wins, including winning the UK Championship eight times and the World Championship seven times.

“It was nice when I had seven, seven, seven, and now I’ve got seven, seven, eight. So it’d be nice to go eight, eight, eight – the three eights. I suppose that’s the sort of motivational thing to try and get another Masters, try and maybe get another Worlds,” he said.

The snooker legend, nicknamed "The Rocket", later said that he had "no interest in numbers." According to The Independent, he said:

“I wish I hadn’t mentioned that stupid eight, eight, eight. I am not even interested in it, but sometimes you feel you have got to say something. Really I have no interest in numbers.”

At 48, Ronnie O'Sullivan became the oldest player to win the Masters title, 29 years after he became the youngest person to win the Masters in 1995 when he was 19 years old.