The eternal debate over snooker's greatest player continues, with Ronnie O'Sullivan and Stephen Hendry at the centre of the conversation. Both have seven world titles, after O'Sullivan equalled Hendry's record at the Crucible in 2022. The pair recently met in a friendly match at the John Virgo Trophy in Ireland, played under Snooker 900 rules, with O'Sullivan winning 6-1. Hendry, who retired for a second time two years ago, remains a respected figure.
O'Sullivan added another milestone at the World Open, making a 153 break—the highest in professional snooker—during his quarter-final win over Ryan Day. Following this, 2010 world champion Neil Robertson took to social media to declare O'Sullivan "the best ever and the best there ever will be." John Higgins, a four-time world champion, also backed O'Sullivan, stating that his seventh world title would "cement his place in everybody's eyes" as the greatest.
Mark Williams offered a broader view, including Judd Trump in the GOAT conversation. Williams said Trump must win another world championship to surpass Hendry and rank alongside O'Sullivan, Higgins, and Mark Selby. "If he wins one more world title, I'd put him in front of Hendry," Williams said.
Despite the rivalry, O'Sullivan and Hendry showed mutual respect after their exhibition match. O'Sullivan called Hendry "the greatest player I've ever seen, ever played," praising his middle pocket potting. Hendry returned the compliment, describing O'Sullivan as "obviously the GOAT" and an "artist with the cue ball."
