BACK IN THE DAY WITH: Max Hopp, the first German European Tour champion who fought his way back to the PDC after years in anonymity

In this feature, we regularly take a trip Back in the Day with a particular darts player. Today, we are doing so with German player Max Hopp, once the great hope of German darts and, after several years away, active on the PDC Pro Tour again since 2025.

Max Hopp was born on August 20, 1996, in Idstein, Germany. For years, ‘Maximiser’ was regarded as the great German darts talent. From a young age, the German showed exceptional ability and grew into one of the best-known faces in German darts. His career featured highs that many players can only dream of, but also deep lows. Injury problems, the loss of his PDC Tour Card and several unsuccessful attempts to regain it took Hopp far away from the big stage. Nevertheless, he continued to believe in a comeback. The German has now found his way back up again.

Hopp made a name for himself in the darts world at an early age. In 2011, he reached the final of the boys’ tournament at the WDF World Cup. A year later came an important victory: Hopp won the boys’ tournament at the WDF Europe Youth Cup. It became clear that Germany had a talent who could potentially develop into a future top player.

His first notable performances at senior level also came quickly. During the 2012 Dutch Darts Masters, Hopp reached the last 16. Along the way, he defeated players including Terry Jenkins and Steve Beaton. Paul Nicholson eventually proved too strong, but the performance of the young German made an impression.

In 2013, Hopp made history again. He qualified for the World Darts Championship through the Central European qualifier in Bielefeld. At the time, he became the second-youngest player ever to compete at the World Championship. In London, he immediately made an impression by defeating Charl Pietersen 4-1 in the preliminary round.

Hopp also showed against Denis Ovens that he was not intimidated by the big stage. He won the first and third sets to take a 2-1 lead. However, he could not finish the job. Ovens then won six consecutive legs and sent the German home with a 3-2 defeat.

It was only the beginning of a period in which Hopp increasingly knocked on the door of the international darts elite. In 2013, he played in several European Tour events and also qualified for the European Championship. Although he lost to Paul Nicholson in the first round, he gained valuable experience.

His development continued steadily. In 2014, Hopp was not yet guaranteed a PDC Tour Card, but he continued to develop through the European Tour and Challenge Tour. He qualified for six of the eight European Tour events. At the European Darts Grand Prix, he even recorded a victory over Mike De Decker before Dave Chisnall ended his run.

A year later came an important step in his development. At the 2015 World Championship, Hopp produced one of the first major surprises of his career. Against Mervyn King, the German played an excellent match and won 3-2. A 161 finish was the highlight of his victory. Hopp also threw no fewer than ten 180s during the match.

The victory over King confirmed that Hopp could no longer be regarded solely as a prospect. He was now a player capable of beating established names. Although Vincent van der Voort eliminated him 4-0 in the second round, Hopp had once again made an impression.

Later that year came one of the most important successes of his career. In the final of the PDC World Youth Championship, he faced Nathan Aspinall. Hopp was behind for almost the entire match, but struck when it mattered most. In the deciding leg, he claimed a 6-5 victory to become world youth champion.

The title also gave him access to the 2016 Grand Slam of Darts. There, he faced players at the very highest level, including Michael van Gerwen. Hopp managed to defeat Martin Adams, but a defeat to Van Gerwen ultimately resulted in elimination in the group stage.

Hopp continued to develop, however. In 2016, he won a Development Tour event and reached his first European Tour quarter-final. At the European Darts Matchplay, he defeated Joe Murnan, Ian White and Terry Jenkins before Peter Wright eliminated him. Once again, these were signs that Hopp was getting closer to the absolute top.

At the 2018 German Darts Open, Hopp had the opportunity to perform in front of his home crowd. He grabbed that opportunity with both hands. He began with a victory over Zoran Lerchbacher before producing a huge upset by defeating defending champion Peter Wright.

The tournament was far from over. Hopp continued winning, defeating Benito van de Pas and Joe Cullen. For the first time, a German player had reached the semi-finals of a PDC European Tour event.

There, he faced Rob Cross, the reigning world champion. Once again, Hopp was not intimidated. The match developed into a thriller and went to a deciding leg. Hopp initially missed several match darts to win 7-5, but remained calm. He eventually checked out 121 via the bullseye to reach the final.

Michael Smith awaited him in the final. The Englishman controlled much of the match, but Hopp stayed within touching distance. Once again, it came down to the decisive moments. With the score at 7-7, one leg would decide the winner.

Hopp delivered again. He once more checked out 121 via the bullseye, using exactly the same route as in his semi-final against Cross. With that, he made history. The German became the first player from his country to win a PDC European Tour title.

The success proved not to be a one-off. Later that year, Hopp also won Players Championship 19. He defeated players including Alan Norris, Darren Webster, Jamie Hughes and Jermaine Wattimena before reaching the final. There, he defeated Madars Razma. It was his second senior PDC title.

He also continued to impress at the World Championship. At the 2019 World Championship, Hopp reached the third round for the first time. He defeated Danny Noppert 3-0 before facing Michael van Gerwen. The Dutchman eventually proved too strong, but Hopp had once again taken an important step forward.

His performances even earned him a place in the Premier League in 2019. After Gary Anderson withdrew, Hopp became one of the so-called contenders. In Berlin, he was given a one-off opportunity to perform on the biggest stage. He lost 7-3 to Raymond van Barneveld, but it was another confirmation of his status as one of Germany’s leading darts players.

After that, however, the story changed dramatically. Following the coronavirus pandemic, Hopp suffered serious physical problems. An ankle injury in particular continued to trouble him. In June 2021, he tore his ankle ligaments, an injury that would have a major impact on the rest of his career.

The German was no longer able to consistently reach his previous level. Whereas just a few years earlier he had been winning European Tour titles and competing against world champions on the biggest stages, he was now mainly fighting to stay fit and maintain his ranking position.

At the end of 2022, Hopp lost his PDC Tour Card. For a player who had once been regarded as one of the biggest talents of his generation, it was a huge blow. He subsequently attempted to return through Q School in 2023 and 2024, but both attempts ended unsuccessfully.

Hopp refused to give up, however. In August 2024, he returned to the European Tour. At the German Darts Championship, he was given an opportunity to show himself to the wider public again as a host-nation qualifier. It was his first appearance on a major stage in two years.

Hopp immediately took advantage of the opportunity. In the first round, he defeated José de Sousa 6-2. It showed that the qualities that had once taken him towards the top were still there. Joe Cullen ended his comeback in the second round, but the return itself was far more important.

In 2025 came the next major step. Hopp finally managed to regain a Tour Card at Q School. He finished tenth on the European Q School Order of Merit, securing his return to the full PDC circuit.

For Hopp, this meant more than simply another opportunity. It was proof that, after years of injuries, disappointments and doubts, he had once again found a way forward. On the European Tour, he qualified for two events in 2025. At the Dutch Darts Championship, he recorded a victory over Luke Woodhouse. Hopp won 6-3 to reach the second round, where Jonny Clayton eventually proved too strong.

Hopp also showed that he could compete at the highest level on the Players Championship circuit. In 2025, he reached the last 16 twice, collecting ranking points and confidence along the way.

And perhaps most importantly, Hopp returned to the World Championship. At the 2026 World Darts Championship, the German appeared on the biggest stage of all for the first time since 2021. His first-round opponent was Martin Lukeman. Hopp won 3-1, recording a victory that was symbolically much bigger than simply reaching the second round.

Hopp eventually lost 3-0 to Luke Woodhouse in the second round, but it nevertheless confirmed a remarkable comeback albeit his Tour Card is under threat as such again. Once, Hopp was a teenager regarded as a prodigy representing Germany and breaking records. He then became a European Tour winner, a world youth champion and a player who got to experience the Premier League. His career was subsequently halted by injuries and he even lost his Tour Card.

His career therefore has two sides. On the one hand, there is the enormous talent that took him to the international elite at a young age. On the other, there is the resilience of a player who had to start again from the ground up after serious physical problems.

The name Max Hopp is therefore no longer associated solely with the German prodigy who made history in 2018. He is now also the story of a darts player who refused to allow his career to end when everything was going against him.

His biggest challenge may still lie ahead. The German has now proved that he can return to the PDC circuit. The next step is to show that he can once again compete consistently with the best players in the world.

But one thing is certain: Max Hopp has reclaimed his place on the big stage. And after everything he has been through, he will undoubtedly grab his second chance with both hands.

Hopp still has to fight to retain his PDC Tour Card this year, but he has already demonstrated on numerous occasions that he has the fighting spirit required to do so.