Kyren Wilson, the recent world champion, believes that 45 is the perfect age to retire from competitive cue-playing. He has no intention of playing into his 50s.
The 32-year-old, who won his first Crucible title and made history on Monday night by defeating Jak Jones in the Sheffield final, is at the top of the snooker world.
The world champion has a lot of time remaining to remain among the sport’s elite—just three players in the world’s top 16 are younger than him—but he has no intention of playing forever.
Wilson wants to spend as much time as possible in retirement with his family after making so many sacrifices during his career. Wilson’s wife, two sons, brother, and parents are all major contributors to his incredible success on the table.
Even though competitors like Ronnie O’Sullivan, Mark Williams, and John Higgins are getting closer to 50 years old, the Warrior doesn’t think he will follow suit.
If I’m being completely honest, I don’t think I’ll be like some of the other guys, Wilson stated to Metro. “My kids and wife have had to make a lot of sacrifices.”
And I’ve witnessed folks build up to their retirement and desire to sail off into the sunset countless times throughout my life. Unfortunately, they are unable to enjoy it because they get sick or something goes wrong. I wish to not be among those individuals.
I’ve always believed that looking at ages up to roughly 45 is a good idea. I hope to have accomplished enough by then to be able to look back and say, “I’m worthy of the history I’ve built.” However, that’s a long way off.
In terms of his post-playing career, Wilson has already dabbled in analysis and punditry. He also had pleasure in being in the box for the World Championship.
He remarked, “It’s given me another insight into it.” Considering John Higgins’ matchup with Jamie Jones, I can now comment on it all from a different angle.
As a player, you walk out there and feel like everyone is watching you. There’s a lot of pressure, and it can sometimes feel terrible. It feels fantastic at times. But from the communications box, you could ask, what’s the big deal? It’s not as scary as you might initially believe. Working with some of the legends is fantastic, and I love it.
Before Wilson lays up his cue, there is still a lot of pool to be played, as the Warrior hopes to hold the top ranking in the world and win more world championships.
Even though he will be starting a new season as the current world champion, he believes he has psychologically prepared for it because he has long imagined himself in this role.
“I know exactly what goes along with it,” he declared. I’ve been dangerously close to winning, been on the verge, and had near misses. I’ve attended the semifinals and final. I’ve attended the one-table setup four times in the past seven years, so I’ve seen who has won and have always followed up by observing how they handled it.
I felt like it was almost like me, and now that I am, I feel like I’m ready. I’ve always wanted to be this person, so I’ll take what I’ve learned from everyone and apply it to my dream. It’s up to me to handle it now.
