Danny Noppert aims to finally break World Championship curse after standout year, but sets no targets: “Then you’re only disappointed if you lose”

Danny Noppert heads into the 2026 World Darts Championship in the form of his life. Name a major from the past year and Danny Noppert probably reached the semi-finals there. In his previous World Championship appearances, it never quite clicked between ‘The Freeze’ and Alexandra Palace, but with his current form and last year’s results he hopes to change that now. He seems to have found a way to finally go deep at the biggest tournament of the year.

He moved into his hometown of Joure this year, and in his new house he has built a new darts room. There he can train non-stop without disturbing his girlfriend and two young children. “We have a bit more space now and I think that’s made me calmer in my head. In my previous home I played in the attic, and when my kids were in bed, I always eased off because I didn’t want to wake them. Now I feel more at ease,” he told De Telegraaf.

As mentioned above, Noppert reached the semi-finals at the big majors multiple times this year. He did so at the World Masters, the World Grand Prix, the European Championship, and the Grand Slam of Darts. His roadblock to a final? Luke Humphries. He beat Noppert in three of those four semi-finals. In the other match, it was the other Luke (Littler) who got the better of him.

As a result, he has yet to add a new major title to his résumé since his UK Open triumph in 2022. He is not too worried about it, though. “Those two Lukes keep tripping me up when I’m trying to take that next step. They’re just that bit better, and you need a super day to beat them.”

He does not dwell on it for long, however. “My children, especially the eldest, don’t always like it when heit (Frisian for dad, ed.) goes away. But they’ll have to deal with it. I can handle it well myself. If I lose, it’s always a reward for me to go back home. That’s how I try to think positively,” said Noppert.

The Dutchman hopes to finally perform well at Alexandra Palace in London this year. In seven previous appearances he never got past the last 32, and in the past two years he even lost his opening match. “That has to do with form, and maybe I put a bit too much pressure on myself in recent years. I always play against myself, I tell colleagues when they ask who my opponent is.”

If he is right mentally, he expects to finally go far this year. “I don’t really care what people expect from me. You have to focus on yourself and not on what the opponent does. Plus, I’m of course heading to the Worlds with more confidence now,” he said, referring to his sixth place on the Order of Merit.

First, though, he will have to win his opening match on Wednesday evening in the first round. His opponent? The only other Frisian at this World Championship: Jurjen van der Velde. “Very special. I thought, ‘you’ve got to be kidding me!’ I’d rather not face a Dutchman, because I already play them quite often. Now it happens to be a Frisian as well. I know Jurjen well. We even practiced together before the Grand Slam of Darts in November. I’m the favorite, of course, but I still have to prove it.”

Although he hopes to finally put together a good run at the Worlds this year, he is not setting goals. Because “you’ll only be disappointed when you lose.” But it is clear he wants to do better than in recent years. Above all, sharpness against the world’s best at key moments will have to make the difference. “When I was 8-8 with Littler, I dipped a bit and that’s not acceptable. If I can stay sharp to the end, I can do big things,” he concluded.