Ronnie O'Sullivan has apologised after he said that he felt like he was being "raped" at a recent tournament.
The 35-year-old made the comment in reference to the recent Players Tour Championship events that he has featured in.
Players often have to participate in the tournaments to stay inside the Top 16, and O'Sullivan thought that his winnings did not reflect the effort that he had put in at a recent event.
"I feel like I'm being raped when I'm playing in them," he said on Tuesday, October 18. "I feel I'm being blackmailed."
The former world number one has now apologised for his choice of words.
"I'm really sorry if I offended anyone," he said in a statement. "I wanted to explain how I felt but I used the wrong word. I didn't realise it would cause any offence. I will be happy to personally apologise to anyone who is offended."
O'Sullivan is currently 12th in the world rankings.
