Ronnie O'Sullivan keeps breaking records in snooker — now, at age 50, he's made the highest-ever break in the history of the professional game.
The seven-time world champion cleared the table for a break of 153 in the first frame of his 5-0 win over Ryan Day at the World Open in China on Friday.
The previous biggest break in competition was 148, made by Jamie Burnett in qualifying for the UK Championship in 2004.
“I feel blessed to be able to achieve these things,” said O'Sullivan, who is widely regarded as the greatest-ever snooker player.
“I’m sure long past when I’m not here, there’ll still be people going, ‘That was pretty cool what that guy’s done’.”
The classic “maximum” break in snooker is 147 — 15 reds, 15 blacks and all the colors — but a player can score more if he starts it with a free ball. That happens when a player is snookered on all the reds following a foul by the opponent, and can nominate another ball as a red before potting a color and then starting his break as normal.
It means it is technically possible to make a break of 155.
O'Sullivan followed a free ball and a black by potting 15 reds, 13 blacks and two pinks to reach the colors, which he cleared up under huge pressure with history on the line. He smiled and laughed as he shook hands with Day, and appeared confused as he looked at the scoreboard.
“I was just thinking about trying to win the frame, you know,” O'Sullivan said, “and then it got to a certain point and I did realize and I was like, ‘It seems there’s too many balls on the table so something's not quite right.'”
O'Sullivan already has a long list of records
O'Sullivan is tied for the record of most world championships with Stephen Hendry, has the most major titles (23), the most ranking titles (41), the most century breaks (more than 1,300) and the most 147s (17), including the quickest in a remarkable 5 minutes, 8 seconds at the world championship in 1997.
Already this season, O'Sullivan, who only plays sporadically on the circuit in the latter years of his career, became the first player to make two 147s in one match — in the semifinals of the Saudi Arabia Masters last year.
“I’ve been the first to do many things,” he said of his latest feat, “so I thought I’d get that one as well.
“For me, it’s the excitement and the buzz. If the excitement and the buzz is there, I can do great things. If not, I don’t get excited by it.”
Australian snooker player Neil Robertson, a former world champion, praised O'Sullivan.
“The best ever and the best there ever will be,” Robertson posted on X. “Snooker fans I hope you’ve cherished him over the years in the joy he’s brought to millions over 4 decades.”
___
AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.