Ronnie O’Sullivan has told Eurosport that he can see the argument for style and substance, and loves watching Lionel Messi.
Messi is arguably the greatest footballer of all time, and went a long way to silencing his detractors when adding the World Cup to his glittering trophy cabinet with Argentina in 2022.
Roger Federer was another great from the sporting world who was easy on O’Sullivan’s eye, and he said – like Messi in football – the Swiss master made tennis look so easy.
When asked about how important titles are in terms of legacy, O’Sullivan replied: “I think you’re always going to have two camps. Those who are obsessed with numbers and figures and then you’re going to have the other camp that just love to watch someone play a sport brilliantly well and love watching them.
“People like Federer and Messi. If you can please both camps, you’ve shut them up and you’ve kept them happy. If you haven’t got the titles, but you play great… I get both camps.
“I think it’s about the legacy you leave. The way you play. Watching Messi play football. I’m not bothered about seeing him lift [trophies], I just want to watch what he does and how he goes about it. For me that’s the entertainment. It makes me happy watching him play football.
“He’s [Federer] way behind [Novak] Djokovic. But who would you say is the greatest tennis player? I love Djokovic. For me I love to watch Federer all day long but he hasn’t got the titles now.”
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Jimmy White endorsed O’Sullivan’s view on Federer.
“Talking about tennis. [John] McEnroe, he was different how he played,” White said. “He didn’t win as much as [Pete] Sampras and people like that.
“Federer, you watch Federer play and the difference between him and Djokovic, he was always positioned. It looked easy for Federer. It was a walk in the park. Poetry.”
The Rocket has won the world title on seven occasions, a tally which has him level with fellow legend Stephen Hendry for the most all-time victories at the Crucible.