Luca Brecel, the 2023 world snooker champion, has revealed that a mysterious health issue severely impacted his performance last season. The 31-year-old Belgian, known as the 'Belgian Bullet,' suffered from unexplained fatigue that left him unable to find relief even through sleep. Despite consulting multiple doctors, no diagnosis or cure was found.
A Strange Phenomenon
Brecel described the condition as a 'strange phenomenon' that appeared suddenly without any apparent cause. 'I never really found out what it was. I've always felt great in my life, then all of a sudden something changed without something happening,' he told Metro. The fatigue was persistent and unresponsive to rest, making it particularly frustrating. 'Sleeping didn't help, so it was a frustrating thing,' he added.
The world champion emphasized that stress was not a factor. 'I don't have a stressful life. Sometimes they say, "oh, maybe it's stress or burnout," but my whole life is just doing things I like, so it's not that stressful,' Brecel said. He has since started feeling better, with the fatigue easing, though no explanation was ever provided. 'If the doctor says so, maybe you have to trust them,' he remarked.
Impact on Performance
The health issues forced Brecel to withdraw from several tournaments and hampered his ability to replicate the form that saw him win the World Championship and three other ranking titles. Despite his struggles, he remains motivated. 'I'm really motivated. I'm going to try to do the best I can, try to win tournaments and be in the top 16 again,' he stated.
Brecel demonstrated his enduring talent at the Championship League on Wednesday, topping his group with three wins from three matches. However, early season qualifiers brought disappointment, including a loss to Steven Hallworth in the Wuhan Open and a whitewash defeat to Stuart Bingham in the China Open. 'I'm very focused and very confident in practice, but obviously not yet the results going my way,' he acknowledged.
Life After the World Title
Reflecting on his stunning 2023 World Championship victory, Brecel admitted that the attention that followed was overwhelming. 'After the Worlds, maybe too much distraction, too much attention. Not my lifestyle, just getting recognised on the street everywhere you go,' he said. He clarified that it was never pressure, but rather a lack of focus due to the dramatic change in his life.
Brecel also addressed the 'rock n roll' reputation he gained after admitting on BBC that he was drunk after a match. 'Maybe I shouldn't have said in the interview that I was drunk after a game, because that was the only time I was drunk, maybe in the last five years!' he explained. He stressed that the image created was not accurate, but he accepts it. 'If it was like that, that would be fine as well, you know? But it's not like that, and I think it's good for people to know.'
Ambition for the Future
Despite the setbacks, Brecel's hunger for success remains undiminished. 'I still think about it. It's always going to be special and my dream now is to do it again. To win it twice, especially as a guy from Belgium, very young. To win it twice at age, I don't know, 35, maybe, who knows, that would be quite special,' he said. At 31, he considers himself young in the current snooker era, noting that rivals like Kyren Wilson, Judd Trump, and Jack Lisowski are actually older than him.
Brecel also touched on the absence of a professional tournament in Belgium following his world title win. While other players have expressed surprise, he remains indifferent. 'I couldn't care less, to be honest. I just play the tournaments that are on the calendar, and I enjoy them, so it doesn't matter where it is. Well, maybe try one in the US, though, because I love it,' he joked. However, he acknowledged that snooker's popularity in the US is limited, recalling an exhibition with only 25 attendees, one of whom didn't know the rules.
Brecel is set to continue his season at the Championship League on Friday, facing Hossein Vafaei, Pang Junxu, and Ian Burns in his second stage group.
