Ronnie O’Sullivan has warned Luca Brecel about his form (Image: Getty)
has urged to revive his career by copying . Brecel won the in 2023 but his form has since spiralled and he finds himself on the cusp of losing his tour card.
The Belgian is regarded as one of the most naturally gifted players of his generation. However, in remarkable circumstances only a year after triumphing at the , he could fall outside the world’s top 64.
Brecel arrived in York for the with his place on the tour at stake but lost his first-round match against Jak Jones. His .
Seven-time world champion O’Sullivan has told the 29-year-old to take inspiration from sprinter Bolt, who matched his natural talent with hard work. “A happy person is normally a happy snooker player, but you have got to put the work in,” O’Sullivan told .
“Even Usain Bolt had to put a lot of training in if he wanted to win medals, and he is probably the most talented, gifted specimen of a sportsman there has ever been.
“But if you watch his documentary he worked really hard. If he didn’t, he would not win, and that applies to everybody. Luca has to make his own mind up and where he wants to go in the game. The one thing I will say is rankings are not that important.
“When you have that amount of talent, if you decide to put the work in, you will win tournaments. The ball is in his court and only Luca can make those decisions.”
Brecel has revealed that he flies to and from his base in Mallorca between matches. , who won seven world titles, believes it is poor preparation.
Luca Brecel is at risk of losing his tour card and his future at the top of snooker is in doubt (Image: Getty)
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“As a snooker player, I cannot buy into what he’s doing, flying in from Mallorca between matches and stuff,” Hendry told Express Sport this week.
“But then, I don’t know what his priorities in life are. Maybe snooker isn’t his priority anymore, and you’ve got to respect that. If that’s what he wants to do, that’s it.
“For me, as someone who dedicated their whole life to win, I don’t understand it. But it’s his life. Luca’s different to anyone else on the tour in that respect.”