‘Pressure is a privilege' – World Nineball Tour No.1 Fedor Gorst reveals how ChatGPT helped him become world champion

The Sun

26-07-2025

FEDOR GORST is cool, calm and collected as he enjoys his breakfast ahead of the final rounds of the World Pool Championship - and it may all be thanks to ChatGPT.
The young world champion, who was born in Russia but represents the USA, last year completed what has become known as the Gorst Slam.
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He triumphed in the U.S. Open, the World Pool Masters, and the World Pool Championship - becoming champion again for the first time since 2019.
That feat has cemented Gorst's place at the top of the rankings - a spot he could keep for a number of years.
Perhaps the only thing standing in Gorst's way is himself, since many believe he is the most skilful player on the World Nineball Tour.
He rejects that claim but there is one attribute that puts him above the rest - mentality.
Gorst, 25, feels pressure is a privilege and he confesses to using ChatGPT to help him improve the mental side of his game.
He told Sun Sport: "The pressure is always there. If there is no pressure I don't feel like I am even trying. So pressure is good. To feel pressure is a privilege.
"A lot of it is mental. This sport, the difference between top players if you look at the top eight, skill-wise, the difference does not really matter, the mental side is where the difference is.
"I've been working with some technical people, working with ChatGPT as well.
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"I give it a prompt, 'you're my mental coach, here's how I feel, tell me how I can improve'.
"Honestly, I use ChatGPT for everything, for practice. I'm always taking notes, what I need to work on, my memory is not clean.
"There's so many things I need to work on, and it's only by going back to see what I was working on that has allowed me to improve."
Gorst, nicknamed The Ghost, has won four ranking event titles in his career.
And although he does not have any pre-match superstitions, Gorst does go through a meticulous routine that includes stretches in the gym and an omelette for breakfast while in Jeddah.
He emphasised the benefit of staying sharp and energised in a week-long tournament, suggesting that it can be the difference needed to claim the title.
Gorst continued: "It's very important to stay fresh. That's the thing that separates the winners from those that lose. Those that lose, most of the time, they run out of gas.
"Long matches, long races, three-hour matches, it takes a lot of energy out of you, it takes a lot of focus out of you. So it is really, really important to stay fresh throughout the tournament."