"At one point I had thoughts like: it doesn't matter who I play against, I'll lose anyway" - Reborn Dimitri Van den Bergh is ready for the PDC World Darts Championship

With just days to go until the PDC World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace, Dimitri Van den Bergh is quietly living towards his first round on Dec. 14. The 31-year-old from Antwerp experienced one of his most difficult years since his breakthrough, but feels the tide is turning. With renewed motivation, intensive training weeks and a fresh head, he hopes to end 2025 on a positive note.

Recently, Van den Bergh made another public appearance at the third edition of Top of Darts in Affligem. In the sold-out Bellekouter, nearly 2,000 fans enjoyed an evening of entertainment with Gerwyn Price, Jonny Clayton, Mike De Decker and Andy Baetens, among others. Clayton eventually won the tournament after a final against Van den Bergh, but the Belgian especially shone during every walk-on.

No surprise, as the world of darts had to do without him remarkably often this year. His enforced two-month break caused him to miss several top tournaments, for someone who for years was a fixture on nearly every stage of the PDC.

“It hurt to have to miss those majors,” he told Het Nieuwsblad. "For many years I was able to qualify for the majors. It wasn’t easy watching those tournaments on television. But I’m a darts fan, so I watched to see how the Belgians were doing. I kept telling myself constantly: ‘Focus on the World Championship.’

Van den Bergh has not played an official game since late October. Yet the past few months have been anything but quiet. At home with the Van den Bergh family, people were working especially hard.

"Since early October I’ve been training at least five days a week with my little brother Xanti, sometimes even doing double sessions of several hours a day," he explained. "Of course, those are training sessions. You’re not throwing under pressure or playing against the world’s top players, but I know I’m prepared."

That belief was reinforced recently when he and his friend Glenn won a local pairs tournament. "It was a mental victory. For me, it’s important to rack up mental wins. I know I can throw well and I believe in myself."

Still, Van den Bergh cannot hide the fact that 2025 was a year of turbulence for him. In April, he even left the venue unexpectedly during a floor tournament just before his first match. He was up. The fun was gone, the pressure too much. The result: a two-month break.

"That break ... yeah," he sighs as he looks back. "After the World Cup ended in June, I fully rejoined the Pro Tour again. I played everything I could. It didn’t go smoothly, but that was to be expected to some extent. I took a step back and went through a lot of mental issues. I’m only human. The support I got, from fans as well as fellow players, meant a lot."

In particular, the words of current world champion Luke Humphries touched him deeply. "He told me that he thought it was extremely clever that I had taken this step and that it's not all easy. When someone like that says that to you ... it does something."

The year started well for Van den Bergh, with a semi-final at the World Masters and a nine-darter against Michael van Gerwen - his sporting 'black beast'. But after his break it proved difficult to regain that level.

"Frustrating, to this day," he admits. "I want to win so badly. Every game I play on pure willpower. But at one point I had thoughts like: 'It doesn't matter who I play against, I'll lose anyway.' Then you know: this is not okay. That's why I left. Taking some distance was necessary."

That decision proved to be the right one. The break gave him space to work on himself, both physically and mentally. "I started focusing on my inner self. How do I really feel? And today I can say that I have been feeling much more positive for a long time. I worry much less about my mental state. That's nice, and I'll take that with me towards Ally Pally."

In the first round of the World Championship, Scot Darren Beveridge awaits. Not an easy opponent, but Van den Bergh doesn't let draws, favorites statuses or form peaks fool him right away. "I'm going to London with an empty head and with the feeling: I've done everything I could do. I am prepared and I believe in myself again."

'The DreamMaker' has had a tough year, but is determined to end 2025 on a positive note. "I will never give up," he concludes. "When I start a game, it's always with full throttle. And this World Cup ... that feels like a new beginning."