Ronnie O’Sullivan’s claim that his bitter rival Ali Carter is a “f****** nightmare” who needs to “sort his life out” is being investigated by snooker authorities.

In an interview, O’Sullivan, 48, used expletives to describe his opponent after Carter said the world number one had “snotted on the floor” during Sunday’s Master Final at Alexandra Palace, which O’Sullivan won 10 frames to seven.

The World Snooker Tour (WST) said O’Sullivan’s outburst “was under review” and refused to comment further.

After the match, O’Sullivan was asked about Carter and told several newspapers: “He needs to sort his f****** life out. I’m not going to skirt around it any more, tip-toeing on eggshells around someone like that. He’s a f****** nightmare.

“Playing snooker against someone like that is a nightmare. He’s not a nice person. It’s not a nice vibe he leaves around the table.

“I’ve said my piece, I don’t give a s***. I’ve said it now, done. You know what he’s like, everybody knows what he’s like.

“He’s got issues. F****** why has he got issues with me? I’m not having it.”

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O’Sullivan, who made a single-finger gesture as he spoke about his opponent, added: “He’s got beef with me. He’s got issues, he’s got to sort his life out, he’s got to see a counsellor or something. He’s got to sort it out because I haven’t spoken to him for 20 years.”

In 2018, O’Sullivan barged into Carter at the table during their 2018 World Championship match, leading to a verbal exchange, as the pair’s long-running animosity boiled over.

Carter had a heated exchange with someone in the crowd, who had called out when he was about to take a shot during Sunday’s match.

Carter, 44, said: “There were a couple of things that happened out there that go unnoticed. Well, they don’t go unnoticed – anyone with an eyesight or a brain can see what’s going on.

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“It’s disgusting, quite frankly. No-one wants to say anything, do they? (O’Sullivan) snotting all over the floor and all that.

“I mean it’s outrageous behaviour from a top professional. If it gets swept under the carpet then for me, it’s not good.”

O’Sullivan is currently involved in a disciplinary dispute with the game’s governing body, the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA), over comments he made about unsanctioned exhibition matches.

It is expected his latest comments will be referred to the WPBSA.

In 2022, O’Sullivan was fined £4,000 by the WPBSA for bringing the game into disrepute for making a “lewd and offensive gesture” on two occasions at that year’s World Championship and the 2021 UK Championship.

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