Michael van Gerwen could miss out on a major darts tournament for the first time in his career — and a luxury trip to Dubai may be to blame.
The three-time world champion has endured one of the toughest seasons of his career, struggling for consistency since his defeat in January’s World Darts Championship final. His early exit from this week’s World Grand Prix only added to a string of disappointing results that have left him in danger of missing the Players Championship Finals.
Van Gerwen has appeared in every edition of the event since it began in 2009. But the Dutchman now finds himself outside the top 64 in the Players Championship rankings — the threshold required for qualification — after missing several tournaments on this year’s calendar.
“I’ll be in Dubai on holiday for the last two, so it has to happen in those two tournaments after the Grand Prix. One way or another, I’ll have to win one," he said on the Darts Draait Door podcast.
Michael van Gerwen is at risk of missing out on the Players Championship Finals
|PA
The 38-year-old is currently ranked joint 92nd, having earned just £14,500 in prize money from Players Championship events this season.
By contrast, victory in a single week’s competition guarantees a £15,000 payout, with the runner-up taking home £10,000. Van Gerwen therefore needs to secure at least £8,000 more to climb into the qualification spots.
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That target, while achievable, will require a sudden return to form from the player once considered unstoppable on the oche. His defeat to fellow Dutchman Dirk van Duijvenbode in the early rounds of the Grand Prix marked another low point in a campaign that has lacked rhythm, sharpness and confidence.
Van Gerwen’s struggles have also come amid a turbulent period away from the sport.
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Michael van Gerwen crashed out of the World Grand Prix earlier this week, leaving him only two more events to qualify for the Players Championship Finals
|PA
In May, he confirmed that he had separated from his wife of more than a decade, Daphne, with whom he shares two children.
He was also recently involved in an altercation at a kebab shop — an incident that attracted widespread attention in the Netherlands.
“After an enjoyable night out, we wanted to grab something to eat, and unfortunately I ended up in a situation you’d rather avoid,” he said.
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“The man came at me from the kitchen, not the other way round, following a verbal exchange. People are making it sound more dramatic than it actually was, which is a shame.”
The Dutchman went on to stress that the disagreement was quickly calmed down.
Michael van Gerwen was involved in an incident last month in a kebab shop
| X“As you can see, people stepped in straight away and the situation was resolved. I even spoke with the man’s nephew afterwards, and we cleared the air before we left,” he added.
Despite the distractions, Van Gerwen remains optimistic about finishing the season strongly. With only two tournaments left before his scheduled Dubai holiday, qualification for the Players Championship Finals is still possible — but time is quickly running out for the Green Machine.