'I faced Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O'Sullivan – it's clear who the better player is'

Snooker legend John Higgins believes "there's no debate" when it comes to Ronnie O'Sullivan being the greatest player of all time ahead of Stephen Hendry.

Higgins, who has been a professional since 1992, faced both icons in their peak but insists The Rocket has a considerable edge in the debate over who is the “greatest”. The Scot gave his thoughts after losing to O'Sullivan in the World Snooker Championship semi-final in 2022, stating that a seventh triumph in the final for his rival would solidify his status as the best.

O'Sullivan did just that, defeating Judd Trump at the Crucible to equal Hendry's record of seven titles. Speaking to Eurosport about the then-world No. 1, Higgins said: "I think it would cement his [O'Sullivan's] place as the best in everybody's eyes [if he beat Trump]. I think a lot of people would still hold on to Stephen having the seven World Championships and he is the greatest, but there is no debate in my eyes."

Now 48, O'Sullivan continues to perform at a high level, currently ranked No. 4 in the world. Meanwhile, Hendry retired for the second time in June this year after failing to make an impact since rejoining the main tour three years ago.

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And there are statistics that support Higgins' claims about his two rivals. O'Sullivan has surpassed Hendry in almost all of the major records, boasting a record eight Masters titles, 41 ranking event trophies and becoming the first to reach over 1,000 career centuries.

Hendry's career achievements include 36 ranking titles and six Masters victories, recording five successive wins from 1989 to 1993. The Scot won a hugely impressive seven world titles from 1990 to 1999.

He earned the nickname ‘Golden Boy’ by becoming the youngest World Champion aged 21. It took O’Sullivan until the age of 25 to land his first win in Sheffield.

Throughout their incredible rivalry, O'Sullivan and Hendry faced off 56 times. The former won 30 of those encounters while Hendry claimed 21 and five matches ended in a draw.

O'Sullivan, now on good terms with Hendry despite their once fierce rivalry, has humbly called him the greatest of all time in the past. The Essex potter said in 2022: "Stephen is an all-time legend for me, the greatest player. He was the Tiger Woods of snooker.

"Me, John (Higgins) and Mark (Williams) have all done well, but when he was flying he was a superstar. When there's three of us, we're not superstars. But when there's one man dominating the sport like he did, like Tiger Woods, it's a different level."

However, both 2005 world champion Shaun Murphy and Hendry have hailed O'Sullivan as the 'GOAT'. Discussing O'Sullivan's attributes as they scribbled down words on a chalkboard, Murphy said on the BBC: "Stephen, I feel safe these days with the word I'm about to write: GOAT."

Hendry agreed, adding: "He is the GOAT because he's taken the game onto a new level. One of the reasons he's taken the game onto a new level is because he is an artist."

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