Shaun Murphy has suggested that Ronnie O'Sullivan engaged in behaviour during his early career that he 'probably wouldn't be proud of' today. The 42-year-old, who was eliminated from the 2025 World Snooker Championship by Judd Trump on Monday, made the comments while praising his opponent.
Murphy described Trump as the 'champion elect' and 'the most underrated player in the world', noting that Trump's ability is often overlooked compared to more flamboyant figures like O'Sullivan. 'It's a strange world we live in, but in terms of snooker ability, he is the most underappreciated player in the world,' Murphy told Sports Boom.
Reflecting on O'Sullivan's rise to fame in the 1990s, Murphy said the seven-time world champion courted tabloid attention through controversial antics. 'I think O'Sullivan did a lot of things he probably wouldn't be proud of in his early career to gather headlines. And I don't think Judd would want to go down that road,' Murphy added.
Murphy believes the era of tabloid-driven fame is fading, replaced by platforms like TikTok. 'He played the media game better than anyone else, and that's a world that's changing. We're in the TikTok generation now. I don't know if Judd has a TikTok account, but if he doesn't, he should have one,' he said.
Trump, who won the world title in 2019, faces 2023 champion Luca Brecel in the quarter-finals. O'Sullivan also advanced to the last eight, setting up a potential final between the two.
