Neil Robertson reveals how he kicked 'dangerous' obsession ahead of World Championship

Neil Robertson has recalled kicking a "dangerous" obsession ahead of his latest bid to win a second Following a torrid 2023/24 campaign, which saw him tumble down the rankings, the has bounced back impressively this season by winning the English Open and World Grand Prix in Hong Kong.

The 2010 Crucible king is also in a good place away from the table after ditching computer games for By his own admission, Robertson was spending too much time on games like FIFA Ultimate Team, League of Legends and World of Warcraft, which adversely affected other parts of his life. He said: "It was FIFA Ultimate Team around 2014/2015. I quit that because that was a really unhealthy relationship, massively so.

"League of Legends, another online game. All these games are competitive, that's the issue with them. In World of Warcraft, I became one of the best in the world for my specific class, which was crazy. But it shows you how seriously I take things when I do them - and that's the issue.

"Whatever I do, I have to try and be as good as I can at it. That's a pretty dangerous world when it comes to video games because six hours can fly by in no time. It's not a healthy thing to do. I get dragged into too much. I play them competitively, and it gets serious.

"Gaming at home is something I would never do again, especially when you've got kids and responsibilities. You can forget things, like taking the bins out!"

Now, he hardly touches computer games unless it's to kill free time while on tour. Instead, when he's not on the green baize, you're more likely to find Robertson playing golf with his son.

"Golf has been massive for my mental health, it's been really good," said the Cambridge-based cueman. "I've quit all the video games. It's been good to have that mental reset. Outside, fresh air, conversations with nice people, it's a good thing.

"It's become a hobby and I'm getting quite good at it. That helps because I see a few people on the course not looking like they're having the best of times! My son asked me to take him to a range. I started smacking balls around and thought, 'This is nice'."

Robertson, who is aiming to win his second Crucible crown 15 years after his first, has been drawn to face qualifier Chris Wakelin in round one. The match begins on Saturday afternoon.