Michael van Gerwen has withdrawn from the Players Championship 16.
His withdrawal followed on from his first-round exit in the previous stage of the Players Championship, with his friend saying the “belief isn’t there”.
Van Gerwen was beaten 6-5 by Dominik Gruellich.
The Dutchman has lacked his usual form, with this being the sixth first-round loss of the PDC ProTour.
Michael van Gerwen, 36, pulls out of darts tournament as friend gives concerning updatePA
His friend and compatriot, Vincent van der Voort, is concerned, as Van Gerwen is failing to show the attributes that made him one of the best in the world:
Van der Voort told the Darts Draait Door podcast: “When I see how things are going, the belief just isn’t there.
"His presence is lacking, there’s no aggression or passion in his game.
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"It’s just about throwing at the board and hoping for the best."
The poor form of Van Gerwen has left him at risk of not qualifying for the finals night of Premier League Darts.
He currently sits in fourth place, but is only one point ahead of Nathan Aspinall, who’s eager to displace the Dutchman.
The three-time world champion has yet to win a tournament this year.
The last time Michael Van Gerwen was in a final was against Luke Littler at the World Darts Championship
PA
The closest he has come was the semi-final of the European Darts Trophy, losing to Ryan Joyce.
He has not been in a final since he was beaten by Luke Littler at the World Darts Championship.
Van Gerwen has been forced to withdraw from tournaments this year after sustaining foot and shoulder injuries.
The Ducthman has reassured fans he still has “fire in my belly.”
He said: “I still have the fire in my belly. The anger is still there when you don’t perform 100 per cent.
"When you face the past, you’ve got your back against the future. You’ve to look to the future.
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Van Gerwen promises fans he still has fire in his belly
PA
"I changed darts for a reason. To get my mind off things. When you aren’t 100 per cent comfortable, it’s a nice thing, but it didn’t work out the way I wanted it to.
"It’s not the most pleasant moment in my career. I’ll never give up. I’ll fight for everything. I know it’s still there. You don’t lose talent like that."
Van Gerwen will look to regain his form and remain in with a shot for finals night of PBL at The O2 in London on May 29.
