"As things stand, he’ll lose his Tour Card within three years" – Peter Wright in freefall in the world rankings as fellow PDC star sees end to 'Snakebite'

PDC
Thursday, 10 September 2026 at 09:16
Peter Wright (2)
Peter Wright’s sporting decline is starting to have ever greater consequences. The two-time world champion has now dropped out of the top 32 of the PDC Order of Merit and must seriously raise his game to avoid a further free fall. Jermaine Wattimena even suggests Wright could eventually lose his Tour Card.
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The 56-year-old Scot belonged to the absolute elite for years. Wright became world champion in 2020 and 2022 and spent a long time ranked near the top of the world list. Little remains of that status now. Where he sat around seventh roughly two and a half years ago, he has since slipped outside the world’s top 32.
Wright’s situation came up on Dartpraat. Wattimena was asked how long he expects the colourful Scot to remain active on the professional PDC circuit. The Dutchman sketched a bleak outlook. “As things stand, he’ll lose his Tour Card within three years.”
That doesn’t mean Wattimena expects Wright to lose his professional status in the short term. But the movement on the world ranking, he says, shows how quickly an established name can run into trouble when results fail to materialise for a sustained period.

Absence from major tournaments hurts

The PDC Order of Merit is determined by prize money earned over a two-year period. Strong results must constantly be replaced. That’s getting harder for Wright now that he reaches the latter stages of big events less often, and qualifying for key tournaments is no longer a given.
Wattimena sees that as the biggest danger for the former world number one. Once you start losing ground, you can slide rapidly in today’s PDC circuit.
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“If you no longer qualify for Euro Tours, no longer for TV events, and you lose a lot of matches at key moments, it can go very quickly.”
Wright is now feeling those effects first-hand. His position outside the top 32 makes the road to several majors tougher, precisely where the big prize money is. Fewer qualifications then mean fewer chances to replace expiring ranking money.
Peter Wright looks pensive.
Wright has already slipped to 37th in the PDC Order of Merit.

Wright must stop the free fall

A pivotal stretch now awaits Wright. The Scot has won virtually everything there is to win within the PDC, but he can no longer live off past glories. New results are essential to improve his position on the world ranking.
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The major TV tournaments, and ultimately the World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace, could carry the most weight. A strong run can change the picture quickly, but an early exit leaves little room to claw back lost ground.
There’s no doubt Wright remains one of the most recognisable faces in darts. His striking hairstyles, colourful outfits, and constant dart changes made him a standout on tour for years. But competitively, his status is far less assured now.
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