Ronnie O'Sullivan had zero doubts when naming the 'best all-round player' in snooker history

Ronnie O'Sullivan had zero doubts when asked to name the 'best all-round player' in snooker history ahead of the 2025 World Snooker Championship.

This year's World Snooker Championship kicks off on Saturday as O'Sullivan released an official statement to confirm his participation ahead of the competition getting underway.

'The Rocket' will be aiming for a record eighth world title in the modern era, having been an ever-present at the Crucible since turning professional in 1992.

He's widely regarded as one of the most talented and accomplished players in snooker history and recognised as the GOAT by many.

But when asked to name the 'best all-round player' in snooker history, the 49-year-old refused to name himself.

O'Sullivan opted for John Higgins, who has won four world titles.

Ronnie O'Sullivan has called John Higgins the 'best all-round player' in snooker. Image: Getty

He feels the Scot, 49, would have won more in his career if he was more 'aggressive'.

"John was probably the best all-round player that’s ever played the game, yeah, without a doubt,' he told TNT Sports.

"Technically unbelievable, break-building fantastic, safety... probably been no one better, bottle - tonnes of it.

"My only thing, if you’re going to criticise someone, I just think he wasn’t aggressive enough. I think he would’ve won a lot more if he had just been more aggressive.

"But I don’t think John is built like that, I think his mindset is, 'I just want to shut up shop', and he can keep you out for hours and hours.

"But sometimes I think with that ability and that talent it’s okay to give chances away when you’re that good because the opponent is just going to crumble anyway and leave you in.

"But John didn’t really see the game like that. Whereas if I’m playing well I think, 'I don’t care if I miss', because I’m going to put so much pressure on them, eventually they’re just going to crack and I’ll just keep going."

O'Sullivan, who beat Higgins in the World Snooker Championship final in 2001, added: "I just think if I was in John’s corner I’d say, 'push the boat out a little bit, put more fear into your opponent'.

"The thing when I got [Ray] Reardon, I needed that, and it’s the opposite with John, he should’ve had someone like Stephen Hendry going, 'you know what John, you don’t need to play safe, you don’t need to be that good in that department, just go for a few more'.

"I was at one end, he was at the other end, and I think I need to go that way and I think John would’ve done probably a little bit better if he’d have gone that way, but he still had an amazing career."

O'Sullivan and Higgins face Ali Carter and Joe O'Connor respectively in round one as the pair of snooker greats look to win yet another world championship.