RONNIE O’SULLIVAN and his wife pulled the curtain back on the “lonely game” of snooker as they hinted at his struggles.

On their new joint account, Laila Rouass opened up as she shed light on the psychological weight her husband carries throughout his superstar career.

"Ronnie O'Sullivan: The Edge of Everything" Premiere – ArrivalsLaila Rouass and Ronnie O’Sullivan have opened up on the snooker star’s mental health Credit: Getty NINTCHDBPICT001043179651Laila explained how her husband is opening up to friends in the “lonely game” Credit: instagram

Ronnie has spoken frequently about his – even describing a crippling stage fright that can take ahold of him.

In the post, the duo wrote: “Ronnie has struggled these last few months but he’s learned to open up to other players.

“It’s pretty heartwarming how people want to help and how others are going through the same thing.

“It’s a lonely game but finding comrades like @hosseinvafaei1 @robbiehuxley and the like makes this crazy game a touch easier.

“On another note, thanks for following and hopefully you’ll see a lot more of us posting things that get our agents quaking in their boots.”

Much of Ronnie’s emotional turmoil traces back to 1992, when his father – and early career mentor – was sentenced to prison for murder.

As his father was being led away to serve his sentence, he passed along a direct instruction: “Just tell my boy to win.”

Reflecting on that moment in his 2023 documentary, a teary O’Sullivan recalled his immediate reaction to his father’s words: “Typical. ‘Just tell my boy to win’.

Sheffield, UK. 27th Apr, 2026. Ronnie O'Sullivan reacts during the John Higgins vs Ronnie O'Sullivan Halo World Championship 2026 match at The Crucible, Sheffield. Picture credit should read: Cody Froggatt/Sportimage Credit: Sportimage Ltd/Alamy LiveMuch of Ronnie’s emotional turmoil traces back to 1992 Credit: Alamy NINTCHDBPICT001059124623The couple got married last year after spending nearly a decade engaged Credit: Instagram @wholeandthensomeuk

“Part of me was thinking ‘f*** you, f*** this, f*** everybody’.”

He noted that while stepping away from the game likely would have been the best choice for his well-being, he felt an irresistible pressure to keep playing regardless.

In that same doc, Laila admitted: “It is hard to watch somebody go through that emotionally and that’s when the questions come in.

“Like, ‘Why does he put himself through it. It is so soul destroying.”

But Ronnie’s present decision to talk openly with close friends – like Iran’s Hossein Vafaei and business partner Robbie Huxley – marks a major shift for him.

Finding camaraderie with people who can understand the mental toll will make the grind far more manageable than suffering in silence.

Yesterday, the couple launched their joint account with a monochrome snap together.

Laila and Ronnie wrote: “Welcome. This is us. Unfiltered, uncouth, unhinged and unplanned.

“No inspirational quotes from us. No feigned positivity. “

Ronnie already boasts 1.2million followers on his personal account, meanwhile Laila has more than 75,000 followers of her own.

And they’ve been sharing all sorts of snaps – including

The couple wed in East London last summer after being engaged for over a decade.