Snooker | Ali Carter, 44, survived two cancers and found herself transformed into a different person

Sheffield

44 years old Ali Carter is back among the top snooker with a bang. Carter, who celebrated the victory of the German Masters last season, has been in a strong mood this year as well and finished ninth in the world rankings.

The fiery British player is proud of the new direction of his career.

“I was on the job for five years. I've tried to dedicate myself to the sport again, do the right things and get back to where I think I should be. Getting back into the top ten is a feather in my cap and gives me a lot of opportunities in the future. It's satisfying to be rewarded for my hard work,” Carter says in the lobby of the Crucible, snooker's World Cup venue.

For a man whose career seemed to be in a strong slump for a few years, the turnaround has been handsome. What makes it particularly impressive is his completely extraordinary background.

Actually, it's a miracle that Carter is still a professional snooker at the age of 44.

To promise Carter, who started his professional career as a model, began to suffer from excruciating stomach pains in the early years of the 2000s, which continued on a monthly basis. He lost a lot of weight, and his snooker career suffered. Help didn't seem to be found anywhere.

Eurosport in an interview, he has described his situation at that time as “pure hell”. Finally, the diagnosis was found: Carter suffered from inflammatory bowel disease Crohn's disease. Medication and a careful diet helped the symptoms, and when the disease was under control, the Englishman quickly rose to the top of the snooker world.

By 2013, he had won three ranking tournaments and played twice in the World Cup final. After that, the health concerns returned even worse.

In 2013, Carter found a lump on his testicle and went to see a doctor. The diagnosis was testicular cancer and urgent surgery. It worked, and Carter already had time to continue his career for one season before receiving more bad news. Despite the surgery, the cancer had managed to spread to Carter's lungs. A tough chemotherapy treatment lay ahead this time.

By the age of 35, Carter had been diagnosed with a chronic and life-altering intestinal disease and two cancers.

“They were a very tough couple of years, and it happened at a very important point in my career. I had made it to a couple of World Cup finals, and I was in a good position,” Carter recalls now.

However, Carter survived. Chemotherapy cleared the lungs of the cancer, and this time it was gone for good. The effects of the traumatic experience are still visible.

“I feel like a different person today. Maybe it's the way the brain processes trauma. When something like that happens, the brain tends to block it out. It almost feels like it happened to a completely different person than who I am now,” says Carter.

Carter is quite a revelation at the snooker table. The 44-year-old tutuutpää huffs and puffs and exudes exceptionally intense energy. Nothing but the balls rolling on the table seems to matter.

Suddenly, Carter's attitude seems almost paradoxical. After two cancer diagnoses, you'd think that things would easily be put into perspective, where the spinning of snooker balls doesn't seem so important.

It's strange, but in reality life doesn't work like that, reminds Carter. He's glad he can still lose his temper over snooker balls.

“It changed me then, but it's been a long time and the brain forgets quickly – thankfully. That's a good thing because we have to go on living. The past should not be allowed to influence the future,” says Carter.

“Snooker is my job and my career. It means a lot to all of us players.”

Nevertheless, Carter's career also had a phase when the years seemed to slip through the fingers. He doesn't beautify his own attitude during his lean years.

“When you've been a professional for 25 years, you get used to it. Doesn't want to do everyday things properly,” Carter says and admits that he let himself get carried away.

“I got what I deserved. I did not approach matches and tournaments professionally. My preparation was weak.”

Pair years ago he started working as a top coach Chris Henry's with and straightened up. The results are easy to notice.

“I don't practice as much as before, but what I do is of high quality. Quality over quantity.”

Carter's new attitude can also be seen at the table, where he has found a new gear in his game. On his way to the Masters final at the beginning of the year, he scored nine streaks of over one hundred points, a record for the legendary tournament.

“You have to try to find ways to improve, and that's what I've done. I've tried to be more aggressive, and this season I've had the most streaks of over a hundred points in my career. It tells about the work I've done in that particular area.”

Carter's a long career has been successful, but it has not yet offered the greatest fulfillment. He has won five ranking tournaments, but he has not reached the biggest trophies in the game.

In major tournaments, he has played twice in the World Championship and twice in the final of the Masters. All finals have ended in defeat.

However, the results of recent years give reason to hope that the best is yet to come. Carter wants to make sure that the realization of his dreams is at least not up to him.

“I am by no means still a complete package. I'm still trying to find things to improve, new ways to be the best version of myself and ways to win tournaments.”