ANALYSIS - Gian Van Veen is World Number Two. He isn’t playing World Number Two darts

Following the 2026 World Matchplay, Gian Van Veen reached a peak career rank of number two on the PDC Order of Merit. Fighting to an impressive semi-final in Blackpool, this contrasts with the fact that Van Veen has struggled in 2026.

After suffering a kidney stone injury during the Premier League of Darts, Van Veen’s performances have dropped to a subpar standard, and without a title across the whole of 2026, his world number two status seems to be a signal of a flawed ranking system rather than a title of the merit of his performances.

Hospitalised on March 18th, Van Veen missed out on the Premier League Night 7 in Dublin, and after three nightly finals and a fourth-place finish in the table, the Dutchman’s downfall was immediate and sustained. Finishing seventh when the tournament concluded, the consequences of the surgery had lost significant strength and energy, most recognisably meaning he had just 15 minutes of practice during his recovery. This period from March to May is the worst statistical period of the last two years for Van Veen, averaging 93.55. It wasn’t just his average, but his checkout percentage, which was at a high of 46.88 in 2025, fell to 38.76%, and hitting a 180 in 21% of his legs. All areas of his game fell, as you would expect after such a damaging injury, and the contrast was stark. With an average of 93.55, this would mean Van Veen is, on average, finishing legs much closer to a 16-dart leg rather than a 15, which is the difference between 6 visits and 5, and would explain his failures in the Premier League.

A first-to-six format and not holding your throw on average after six visits isn’t, and wasn’t, good enough. In 2025, his 97.98 average was the fourth highest behind World Champion Littler, Luke Humphries and 2025 World Cup winner Josh Rock. In good company, there is a strong claim here that Van Veen’s World Championship run was coming, and after his European Championship win against Luke Humphries and a World Championship final, the world number three spot was deserved. In contrast to 2026, Van Veen is averaging a much worse 95.25, coming in as the fourteenth-best average.

This fall from fourth to fourteenth can be mostly explained by his kidney stones, but the injury was much more mental than it was physical. Van Veen puts in hours of practice, and with his calculated approach to darts, practicing for just 15 minutes is a lifestyle upheaval for a player who routinely throws for two hours or more. 120 minutes went down to 15, and these 105 minutes were filled with guilt; walking into an arena with just 15 minutes of practice wasn’t the professional we knew Van Veen to be.

Yet, the 24-year-old had no choice. He had to accept this, and the stats show this steady decline as a result of accepting that his results would fall. In 2025, Van Veen had an extraordinary 72% win rate, winning 135 games, which is more impressive given his ever-present presence on the Pro Tours, as he would lose more games compared to a Littler because he is simply playing more. This seemed to catch up with him, however, in 2026, when sustaining a kidney stone injury whilst trying to play in as many competitions has led him to a 58% win percentage and losing 50 games in 8 months compared to 2025’s 52 in 12. This 14% drop is a sign that his confidence has tanked during this kidney stone injury, and he was in dire need of persistent, strong performances.

On the floor, he hasn’t got this so far. Even before his kidney stone injury, Van Veen struggled to get past early rounds, and it wasn’t until Players Championship 24 that he got past the last 16. Reaching the semi-finals, this was Van Veen’s chance to put a good combination of performances together, but a 5-7 loss in the semi-finals with an 83.37 average seemed to undo all his hard work. In the next Players Championship event, Van Veen averaged 78.40 and lost in the first round, making eight first-round exits in Players Championship events this year.

He is world number two in the world, and hasn’t even reached a final of a Players Championship event, nor has he seemed to impress. Losing to players ranked outside the top 64 on many occasions, including Rhys Griffin, Jim Long and Christopher Wickenden, players a world number two should be beating comfortably.

To what extent can the kidney stones now be blamed? Losses in April following the surgery were inevitable, but the losses in the early part of the year, and several months after the injury, show two perspectives: the kidney stone injury is much more detrimental than we thought, or Van Veen’s level has dropped.

On the European Tour, more success was found earlier in the year, with a strong final campaign and averaging 107.50 on the way; against his fellow Dutchman, Wessel Nijman didn't show the same signs as in eight Players Championship first-round exits. However, not reaching the quarter-finals since, and four first-round European Tour exits show this repeatedly. Furthermore, Van Veen doesn’t seem to hold this World Number Two stage presence and status. Players outside the top 64 should be scared of Van Veen, but losing first-round games 12 times this year proves he doesn’t strike fear into any opponent, and this is proven by his 50 games. On paper, the second-best player in the world shouldn't be losing 50 games, certainly not out of 120 games played. So why is he?

Across his four-year PDC career, Van Veen has won £1,329,559, and on his current PDC order of merit, he has earned £1,002,750. This four-year success story is to be hailed, but it also shows something quite vulnerable. Van Veen’s £1,002,750 is earned mainly through 2025 exploits, with 73.4% of this figure coming from his winnings in 2025. In 2026, he earned just £166,250 in 8 months, compared to 12 months in 2025 of £736,000.

This doesn’t just show the performance dip for Van Veen in 2025 compared to 2026, but it also shows his reliance on major events for ranking money. The World Championship currently holds 41.4% of his ranking money, with £415,000 coming from a final and a first-round exit.

As well as this, the European Championship win of £120,000 means that, without these deep runs, his earnings come out to £230,000, not far off his 2026 earnings so far. Of course, this is a flawed argument in isolation because Van Veen had to win those events, but it shows his ranking is dependent on two results rather than sustained excellence. This is clear as he hasn’t won a PDC ranking title in 2026, and with players such as Henry Coates, Sebastian Bialecki, and Gabriel Clemens all ranked outside the top 32 and achieving this before him shows Van Veen isn’t the world’s second-best player. A player performing at two specific occasions rather than building his ranking across two sustained seasons means he is vulnerable, and with the kidney stones injury meaning the chances of Van Veen having a sustained season are damaged, is this a flaw in the ranking system, as several players are playing better darts in 2026?

There are 13 players, based on averages, playing better darts in 2026. However, averages don't tell a full story, rather results and titles must be taken into consideration when assessing whether there are players playing better darts than Van Veen in 2026. Five players can be considered to be playing better darts, meaning that by performances alone, Van Veen could be considered the world number eight. Here are the players.

Winning six titles alone should make anyone consider Nijman to be playing better darts, but in the last 6 months, the gap is clear. Nijman has averaged 97.07 compared to Van Veen’s 93.55, making a 3.52 gap and with a checkout percentage of 42.88% against 38.76%, this gap is clear. Nijman has won 79% of his games in 2026, and this 21% difference between them across 2026 tells the story of a player producing sustained excellence that Van Veen simply hasn't matched. A first nine of 107.11 is elite and puts him in the top 3 in the world in this metric, giving a much more convincing world number two compared to Van Veen, who has just a 101.22 first nine average in comparison. In 2026 alone, Nijman has won £278,500, £112,250 ahead of Van Veen, clearly showing that based on 2026 performances, Nijman prevails. However, Nijman has lost to Van Veen twice this year, one in European tour two and in the World Matchplay second round. However, two results can’t excuse the six title difference, as well as Nijman absolutely demolishing Van Veen with a 112.87 at European tour 2. This alone would suggest that despite Van Veen being world Number two, the world number 13 is playing much better darts.

2021 World Champion Price makes a strong case for playing the second-best darts in 2026, and going one better than Van Veen at the World Matchplay; reaching the final makes this a fascinating comparison. Despite only having a 66% win percentage and admitting to not being his 100% self in 2026, Price has averaged 98.96 and with a checkout percentage of 40.76% and first nine of 106.22, the quality difference pops out the page. Winning two titles as well doesn’t just mean the Matchplay shows Price is superior; it shows Price has sustained it across the year. Although Nijman held the most damaging statistical differences, Price’s 2026 average as well as his years of experience, added up with a 16-13 win against Van Veen shows that the Welsh Number One is actually playing better darts than the World Number Two.

Smudger is a surprise addition to this list as his world ranking doesn’t do him much favours. Never breaking into the top elite of darts, his call to the World Series was a pleasant surprise and a switch from the same faces, showing now the Englishman is ready to be held on the same pedestal as players like Van Veen. His call wasn’t based on nothing, a seasonal 95.59 average and checkout percentage of 43.23% has earned him three titles in 2026. Smith is going under the radar hugely in 2026 and after the Matchplay quarter-final, it seems he’s starting to build towards another major title. Earning the fourth most in 2026 alone, Van Veen is once again beaten in every category against Smith, showing his world number two status could be vulnerable. To repeat, this world number two label is to no fault of Gian Van Veen, but is a fault of the ranking system being so dependent on winning select ranking majors rather than sustained excellence across a season being rewarded.

The Machine lost to Gian Van Veen in the World Matchplay quarter-finals, but this doesn’t excuse James Wade’s really positive 2026. Although never had high averages, Wade is still averaging higher than Van Veen at 95.42 and is, to no shock, a more clinical finisher with 43.47% against Van Veen’s 38.76%. Winning the first Players Championship of the year, Wade started the year as he meant to go on and sits fifth in the year-end order of merit with £191,500. Although, much like Ross Smith is not playing the second-best darts in the world, the English pair are most certainly playing better darts than Van Veen.

Luke Humphries is the ultimate benchmark, and just £2,250 behind Van Veen in the order of merit; they are split by a thread. Cool hand in the last 3 months is averaging 102.29, with a first nine of 112.26, meaning a better case could be made for him playing World Number One darts compared to World Number Two. Yet, Humphries' first-round exit shows that he’s not the full piece as he was in 2025, and from defending a title won two years ago, the pressure got to him. Despite this, Humphries has still won three ranking titles as well as a World Series event in New York and is Luke Littler’s only worthy rival.

After the 2026 World Championship quarter-final between Van Veen and Humphries, where Van Veen won convincingly 5-1, averaging 105.41, Humphries has reached the Masters Final, the Premier League final, four titles, and multiple deep runs. Van Veen has barely matched this. The argument has never been that these players should be ranked above Van Veen, as the two-year window is working as designed. The argument is that if 2026 form alone determined the ranking, Van Veen’s world number two ranking seems vulnerable, and this could dictate the future of his career. All five players mentioned are playing better darts and are not defending nearly as much from 2025 as he is. Without a significant improvement in form, it would be no surprise to see Van Veen ranked below several of these players within eighteen months.

The World Matchplay semi-final is the one result in 2026 that gives Van Veen genuine cause for optimism. Beating Ratajski, Nijman and Wade across four days at the Winter Gardens before losing to Price 10-17 is an improvement on last year's quarter-final exit to the same James Wade. The trajectory at Blackpool is moving in the right direction, and for a player with only four years of PDC experience, a first Matchplay semi-final is a meaningful step. But the averages throughout the run tell the honest story. Winning three matches between 91 and 96 before losing a semi-final at 91.62 isn't world number two darts. It is competitive, resilient darts from a player growing into the big occasions rather than dominating them. His World Championship final average of 99.94 shows what he is capable of when everything clicks. His Matchplay semi-final average of 91.62 shows where he currently is.