O'Sullivan is now also noted for his longevity in the sport, having competed in a record 28 consecutive World Championships between 1993 and 2020, and having become the second-oldest player (after Ray Reardon) to win a world title in snooker's modern era. In the 2019 Players Championship final, he became the first and only player to reach the milestone of 1,000 career century breaks, a record he has since extended to over 1,100 centuries. He has also achieved the highest number of officially recognised maximum breaks in professional competition, with 15, and the fastest competitive maximum break, compiled in a time of 5 minutes and 8 seconds at the 1997 World Championship.