Ronnie O’Sullivan reveals what he told Rory McIlroy in honest conversation | Other | Sport

Ronnie O’Sullivan has revealed what was said between himself and Rory McIlroy when they met each other in Dubai last week. McIlroy was playing at the DP World Tour Championship, where he was beaten in a dramatic play-off by Matt Fitzpatrick. Despite his defeat, the Northern Irishman still did enough to claim his seventh Race to Dubai title.

O’Sullivan, who lives in the Middle East, was among those in attendance at the Earth Course to watch the action. During his time there, he got the chance to speak with a handful of top golfers. The snooker legend was eager to pick McIlroy’s brains and was grateful the 36-year-old took time out of his day to oblige him.

«He was really lovely, honestly, he was such a nice guy,» said O’Sullivan. «You watch him on TV and you want to see him do well but after meeting him, I found myself really rooting for him to do well.

«Because he’s a big star and it was nice of him to take the time out from his practice session just to have a little chat. He’s a serious guy. He’s not just there to make the numbers up.

«There’s a lot of pressure on him and he wants to do well. You can recognise that in him. All the players are great. I chatted to Tommy Fleetwood. He was lovely, Matt Fitzpatrick.

«We all kind of go through the same gambit of emotions with the game, you know, the ups and downs. So, it’s good to have a chat with him and more importantly, watching him hit the ball.»

O’Sullivan was also quizzed on what they chatted about and said: «We didn’t really talk about snooker or golf.

«It’s just more about the pressures of it and the pressure we put on ourselves and the relationship and how difficult it can be. So, yeah, very interesting. We all kind of had the same sort of vibe towards it, I suppose.»

The Rocket is enjoying his new life in the Middle East but recently admitted that he was not worried about making new friends or even talking to people he meets.

He explained: «We’re not there for a bouji sort of lifestyle. I just like the simplicity of it there. The weather is great.

«One of the beauties of not knowing the language is I don’t really want to talk to everyone that I come in contact with. I know it sounds terrible but we just smile at each other, hello, and it’s good.»