Ronnie O'Sullivan gives Robertson an important piece of advice: How top players select tournaments.

Advice from Ronnie O'Sullivan

According to The Sun: Neil Robertson greatly appreciated Ronnie O'Sullivan's advice on organizing his schedule in snooker.

The Australian snooker player is also trying to improve working conditions for all players by calling for more 'transparency' regarding sponsorship contracts and the logistics of tournaments.

Neil Robertson greatly appreciated Ronnie O'Sullivan's adviceTai Chengzhe/VCG via Getty Images O'Sullivan gave Robertson advice on managing the snooker scheduleTai Chengzhe/VCG via Getty Images

The 2010 world champion returned from his home country after receiving the Medal of the Order of Australia at a ceremony with his parents. Neil, a father of two, decided to skip the Wuhan Open to get a 'mental reset'.

After his victory against O'Sullivan in the final of the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters, for which he received £500,000, Robertson chose not to participate in the lucrative tournament in China. Communicating with the snooker legend helped him realize how important it is to select tournaments carefully to avoid burnout.

According to Robertson:

“Ronnie was absolutely great. This final took place in a great spirit, it was very competitive. It was so nice to play against him as he really wanted to win.”

“After the match, we signed hundreds of autographs for fans at the meet-and-greet, he signed everything.”

Robertson defends his title at the English Open on Tuesday evening at Brentwood Leisure Centre and plays against Thai player Sunny Akhani, who crafted a new cue for O'Sullivan this season. This event of the Home Nations Series is very important to Robertson, as his father and eldest son witnessed his victory last year in Essex.

Improving Conditions for Players

This summer he joined the Players Board of the WPBSA to improve standards and strengthen connections between officials and stars. Robertson, the most successful non-British player in history, noted:

“It was an interesting experience to learn what happens behind the scenes and how players are taken care of.”

 

“There should be more transparency regarding sponsorship contracts and the financing of tournaments.”

“Players have the right to know how much these contracts really cost before the money flows into World Snooker.”

Issues with the Schedule

According to Robertson, it is “very difficult when working with promoters and sponsors in other countries who demand a certain number of players and participation.”

“I also believe that the schedule could be structured much better. It is strange to travel from Shanghai to Riyadh, then to Wuhan, back to the UK, and then again to China.”

“Perhaps it would be better to hold snooker competitions consecutively in China. The travel costs are enormous.”

“Not to mention that the constant changes in time zones are a significant burden on the well-being of players. It is very difficult to constantly switch between these zones.”

“I try to defend the rights of players regarding travel to China. Our presence at competitions should be more convenient. Players should have more say in such matters.”

This situation underscores the importance of organizing schedules and the transparency of sponsorship contracts for snooker players, especially in light of many international tournaments. Robertson, who is trying to protect the rights of his colleagues, puts player welfare at the forefront, which could be an important step toward improving conditions in this sport.