Now noted for his longevity in the sport, O'Sullivan has competed in a record 29 consecutive World Championships between 1993 and 2021. In the 2019 Players Championship final, he became the first and only player to reach the milestone of 1,000 career century breaks in professional competition, a record he has since extended to over 1,100 centuries. He has achieved the highest number of officially recognised maximum breaks in professional competition, with 15, as well as the fastest competitive maximum break, compiled in a time of 5 minutes and 8 seconds at the 1997 World Championship.