Ronnie O’Sullivan makes history with record-breaking 153 at World Open

Ronnie O’Sullivan created a piece of history at the World Open as he hit the highest ever professional snooker break of 153 against Ryan Day

Snooker icon Ronnie O’Sullivan has achieved the highest break ever recorded in a professional snooker match with a 153 against Ryan Day.

O’Sullivan has been participating in the World Open in Yushan, China, this week and has demonstrated remarkable form, with the ex-world No.1 defeating Matthew Selt and Shaun Murphy to advance to Friday’s quarter-final against Day, reports the Express.

‘The Rocket‘ continued his dazzling performance by setting a new record in the opening frame against Day, achieving the largest ever break in a snooker match. In fact, O’Sullivan scored an astounding 153 to take a 1-0 lead, surpassing Jamie Burnett’s previous record of 148.

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The 50-year-old executed a 16-red clearance after being awarded a free ball earlier in the frame, and he capitalised on this opportunity by ruthlessly clearing the table.

He initiated his break by potting the green as the 16th red and for much of the break an incredible 155 total maximum seemed within reach, with O’Sullivan potting flawlessly and rarely finding himself out of position

However, O’Sullivan ended up slightly off-target on one shot, and although he still managed to pot it, he had to settle for the pink instead of aiming for the black ball.

‘The Rocket’ potted another pink after sinking the last red, then proceeded to pot the final six colours to reach 146, giving him the opportunity to achieve the highest ever break in a professional snooker game.

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Under intense pressure, O’Sullivan kept his cool to pot a remarkable black – positioned along the top cushion – to reach 153, much to the joy of spectators in the venue and around the globe.

Despite losing the frame, Day displayed a touch of class by applauding his rival as O’Sullivan appeared almost stunned after achieving the 153 break, with Neal Foulds equally taken aback in the commentary box.

After regaining some equilibrium, Foulds took to X to comment on the historic event, stating: ” Ronnie O’Sullivan has just made a breaking 153 in the opening frame of his #WorldOpen match. Mindblowing [five exploding head emojis].”

O’Sullivan’s feat shatters the previous record for the highest professional break held by Burnett, who scored a 148 at the UK Championship qualifiers in 2004.

The 2025/26 season has so far been a letdown for O’Sullivan, although he is now on the verge of securing a spot in the semi-final at the World Open as he leads 4-0 in a best of nine against world No.36 Day.