Neil Robertson has attributed his recent Saudi Masters triumph, where he narrowly defeated Ronnie O’Sullivan 10-9 to clinch the £500,000 prize, to the pivotal role of a sports psychologist in revitalising his career. The Aussie snooker ace soared to third in the world rankings following his remarkable victory, which was particularly noteworthy given his previous struggle to qualify for the 2024 Crucible event after a dip in form.
Robertson has praised the influence of his support team, including sports psychologist Helen Davis and coach Joe Perry, for his resurgence. Taking inspiration from O’Sullivan’s long-term collaboration with psychologist Steve Peters, Robertson sought out Davis’s expertise.
He shared: “I always thought I was really strong mentally, which I am, but I think when you see an actual specialist, a sports psychologist, and you look at tennis players and golfers.
“They’re always thanking their team whenever they win, that’s the first people they thank is their team. That’s what I’ve managed to set up with Helen Davis, who’s worked with Wimbledon champions, and with Joe.
“At the start of the summer the three of us were on a Zoom call and we talked for about two hours about what is the plan for the season, the mindset, the style of play, what we want to achieve and to see it all come together so quickly is amazing. Helen has just transformed my life, she really has.”
Robertson is set to jet off to China for his next challenge, where he’ll face the formidable 12-time women’s world champion Reanne Evans in the Wuhan Open last 64 on Monday. Fresh from clinching titles at the English Open, World Grand Prix, and Saudi Arabia Masters, seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry has high expectations for Robertson’s continued success.
“He’s always been a top-four player for me, and he’s back where he belongs,” Hendry remarked on the World Snooker Tour podcast. “There’s not a player in the world who doesn’t benefit from being a bit quicker, being positive and getting on with it.
“He messaged me, I think during the UK Championship last year, and he was up to about 31 seconds a shot. I commented that he’s at his best when he’s at 19 or 20 seconds a shot. He actually didn’t realise that he was up at those figures.
“Sometimes he does get bogged down, or he finds himself slipping into the same kind of pace if his opponent isn’t playing the same type of game. He’s a bully as a player. When he plays at his best, he imposes himself on the game.
“It is going to be really interesting to see how he pushes on. It would be easy to take his foot off the gas when he knows he’s in all the main competitions for the rest of the season. You don’t always play well. When you do get that form, it is easy to take your foot off the gas a little bit and all of a sudden your form just might go from that high that you are on.”