Ronnie O'Sullivan has voiced his disapproval of the state of Alexandra Palace as he advanced to the semi-final of the Masters, denouncing the iconic London venue as "dirty" and "disgusting".
The seven-time Masters champion secured his spot in the competition's last four by defeating Barry Hawkins 6-3 in a match riddled with errors. O'Sullivan is scheduled to compete against Shaun Murphy in the semi-final on Friday evening.
Following his triumph over Hawkins, O'Sullivan launched a harsh critique on the condition of Ally Pally, which, in the past month, has also been the venue for the PDC World Darts Championship.
"I just don't like this place to be honest with you, I just find it disgusting," O'Sullivan said. "Everywhere is just dirty, it's cold, I’m freezing. I have to sit here in my coat.
"Everywhere you go, you're going through car parks, it's bins. I don't know if you've seen over there [media catering area] there's leftover food and stuff and it makes me feel ill to be honest with you.
"I'm a bit of a clean freak. Coming here gives me the heebie jeebies and I can't wait to get out of here to be honest. I'm sorry, that's just how I feel."
The Masters has been held at Ally Pally since 2012, and the Grade II listed building has been the venue for the tournament every year except for 2021, owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.
In response to O'Sullivan's remarks, the World Snooker Tour stated: "We work alongside Alexandra Palace to provide the best possible conditions for players on and off the table.
"All other players have spoken with unanimous positivity about the venue. Fans love coming here. This is underlined by record ticket sales and the fact that all standard admission seats sold out ahead of this year's tournament."
Meanwhile, an Alexandra Palace spokesperson added: "We love hosting the Masters and welcoming all the players and fans to the Palace. We work tirelessly to provide an arena and atmosphere that this great event deserves.
"We’ve been proud of the overwhelming positive feedback the venue has received in recent years, and it’s obviously disappointing that Ronnie feels differently. We hope we can change his mind and that he enjoys the rest of his tournament here."
Earlier this week, O'Sullivan criticized the Ally Pally crowd following his first-round victory over Ding Junhui."I embrace the pressure," O’Sullivan said. "I embrace all that stuff that comes with being a winner.
"I embrace it as a privilege. It’s what you need to win. I’ve reinvented myself over the years and that’s what I’ve had to do. I don’t like the rowdiness of the Ally Pally crowd really, but you have to embrace it. It’s a part of it."