Wilson was made to work hard by Jones, who lost the opening seven frames but fought back to keep his opponent on his toes. The eventual result saw Wilson become snooker’s newest champion, having never won it before despite reaching the final in 2020 and making it to the semi-finals on two occasions.
After the match, a press conference from a few years ago resurfaced on social media with O’Sullivan being left red-faced over the comments he made. The Rocket brutally snubbed Wilson when discussing the best players in the world despite the latter sitting just two seats away from him.
“It’s usually the good ones that win it,” said O’Sullivan, before pointing at every player sitting around him with the exception of Wilson. “Neil [Robertson], Mark [Selby], [John] Higgins, [Mark] Williams. I’m not disrespecting any of the other guys, but that’s why they’ve been at the top for that long. They’re just cut from a different cloth.”
O’Sullivan’s comments suggested that he did not think Wilson was good enough to win a world title, but he was proven wrong on Sunday when the Kettering native finally got the job done. Wilson came close to walking away from the sport in 2013 but was rewarded for his patience and hard work by achieving Crucible glory at the 12th time of asking.
He reflected on his arduous journey to the top of snooker after beating Jones in the final, saying: “It’s like a Rocky Balboa story. I’ve had to dig in and go back to the grotty gym and find myself again. I remember two years I couldn’t get through Q School. Sophie [wife] looked at me and said: ‘If you don’t do it this year we’ll have to look at alternatives’.
“The setbacks have made me stronger. I said a while ago that I’d be disappointed if I only landed one. I believe I can become a multiple world champion. This first one must be the hardest one to win, surely. I hope it’s the hardest to get off your back. Now I’ve done that no-one can take that away from me.
“I can build a legacy in this sport and that’s something I would like to have a good crack at now I’ve got this one out of the way. You sort of hunt for your first Triple Crown event and there’s no better Triple Crown event to land as your first one than the World Championship.”
