**Shaun Murphy Reflects on Ronnie O’Sullivan’s Early Career Decisions Amid Snooker Championship Drama**
Snooker pro Shaun Murphy has reignited debate over the evolution of the sport’s celebrity culture, drawing sharp contrasts between Ronnie O’Sullivan’s turbulent early years and Judd Trump’s low-key approach to fame. Fresh from a hard-fought loss to Trump in the 2025 World Snooker Championship, Murphy shared candid reflections on the pressures that come with life at the top of the sport.
Murphy, known on the circuit as ‘The Magician’, was beaten 13-10 by Judd Trump in a high-quality second-round encounter at the Crucible. As he faced the media after the match, Murphy was quick to heap praise on Trump, describing him as “the most underrated player in the world” and suggesting he is the “champion elect” heading into the latter stages of the tournament.
“It’s a strange world we live in,” Murphy remarked in an interview with Sports Boom. “In terms of snooker ability, [Trump] is the most underappreciated player in the world. So far Judd has managed to keep getting headlines based on his ability, but in the world we live in, that’s not enough to be famous.” This sentiment highlights the changing standards of celebrity in snooker, particularly as the sport’s media focus has shifted over time.
Murphy’s comments inevitably turned to the sport’s most recognisable figure – Ronnie O’Sullivan. O’Sullivan, seven times a world champion and a household name since the 1990s, made headlines in his youth for both his remarkable skills and a string of off-table controversies. Murphy pointed to this dual legacy, suggesting that O’Sullivan “did a lot of things he probably wouldn’t be proud of in his early career to gather headlines,” adding, “I don’t think Judd would want to go down that road.”
The snooker landscape much favoured tabloid drama during O’Sullivan’s formative years, with players’ antics beyond the green baize providing regular fodder for the media. Murphy reflected on this era with a sense of unease. “You see O’Sullivan talks about a lot of things that he wishes he could change now that he’s an older man. The days of tabloid media feel like they’re on the way out. I think Ronnie courted that [attention] for many years through the nineties. He played the media game better than anyone else, and that’s a world that’s changing.”
With the rise of social media, Murphy believes the requirements for superstardom are shifting. “We’re in the TikTok generation now,” he quipped. “I don’t know if Judd has a TikTok account, but if he doesn’t, he should have one.” This tongue-in-cheek comment underscores how platforms and public tastes have evolved, with modern stars needing to adapt to digital-first audiences rather than the once-powerful print tabloids.
This difference in approach could partly explain why Judd Trump, though a 2019 world champion with a polished image, sometimes seems overshadowed by the enduring mystique of O’Sullivan. Murphy suggested that if Trump claims a second Crucible crown, his profile may finally match his achievements. Trump is now set to face Belgium’s Luca Brecel in the quarter-finals. Should he progress, a possible semi-final showdown awaits against either John Higgins or Mark Williams – two legends in their own right.
Meanwhile, O’Sullivan also advanced to the last eight, defeating Pang Junxu, keeping alive the prospect of a blockbuster final between snooker’s most famous icon and its most quietly consistent star.
As the Championship continues, Murphy’s reflections serve as a reminder of the pressures that accompany sporting brilliance, and of the shifting currents that define what it means to be a star, both on and off the snooker table. While O’Sullivan’s path to fame was as much about controversy as craft, players like Trump may pave a quieter, but equally successful, route to greatness.
Fans and pundits alike will watch with interest to see whether the new generation can capture both titles and the public imagination, as the golden era of snooker enters its latest chapter.