"Doesn’t belong in the top 16 right now" – Vincent van der Voort sees problems mounting for Michael van Gerwen

Tuesday, 27 October 2026 at 18:30

Vincent van der Voort has spoken critically about Michael van Gerwen’s ongoing slump in form. The three-time world champion was beaten 6-3 by fellow Dutchman Kevin Doets in the first round of the European Championship in Dortmund and has since slipped to 13th in the world rankings. Van der Voort believes the problems go beyond disappointing results. On the Darts Draait Door podcast, he said Van Gerwen must rediscover his hunger and aggression if he is to climb out of this slump.

Van Gerwen began the European Darts Championship with high expectations, but Doets overwhelmed him in their opening match. The Dutchman watched as his compatriot pulled clear with finishes including 106 and 132.

“Doets took out 106 and 132 early on, and that was already where he made the difference. You can see that Michael currently isn’t able to turn a match like that around,” Van der Voort said.

The former professional believes Van Gerwen is currently unable to produce something special at the crucial moments. “Van Gerwen isn’t doing anything special, but Doets did, with a brilliant 132 finish. Michael isn’t the kind of player who takes out a scrappy finish to hurt his opponent. The legs he wins, he almost always wins on merit. But he isn’t nicking any legs.”

Michael van Gerwen lost to Kevin Doets in the first round of the European Darts Championship

“When you look at his numbers, they’re shocking”

Van der Voort believes the defeat to Doets is part of a worrying run of results. Van Gerwen was among the world’s elite for years, but now he is struggling against almost every opponent.

“Van Gerwen is struggling against everyone at the moment. He has to find a way to turn things around. Hopefully he can win a few rounds on the ProTour, because losing all the time won’t make him any better.”

Van der Voort pointed out that the poor results have been going on for quite some time.

“When you look at his numbers over the last ten or twelve tournaments, they’re shocking. You think: that isn’t him. You can’t turn that around overnight. It’s going to take a lot of hard work.”

He is particularly concerned that Van Gerwen has shown so few signs of recovery. “This is the worst year he’s had, and it’s the year when things were supposed to happen. The year when he was going to play more and achieve more. You keep thinking he’s hit rock bottom, but he’s still down there. At some point, he has to get back up.”

Van der Voort sees a lack of hunger and aggression

Alongside the disappointing results, Van der Voort has also noticed a change in the way his close friend carries himself. He has no doubt Van Gerwen wants to win, but often misses the conviction that made him so successful for years.

“I am disappointed by that. You can see that he really wants it, but I think he sometimes lacks hunger and aggression. It all looks a bit flat. You want to see him get genuinely angry during a match. You want to see on his face that he really wants it.”

Van der Voort also believes Van Gerwen is finding it increasingly difficult to motivate himself for matches.

“He really wants it, but you can tell he finds it hard to motivate himself. It seems to have to come from the people around him, rather than from within. That’s worrying. He needs to get that hunger back. He should be thinking about it days in advance.”

The former professional stressed that the situation is complicated away from the oche, too. “A lot is happening in his personal life as well. Things that have been weighing on him for longer than he may want to admit. That’s how you end up here.”

“He doesn’t belong in the top 16”

After his early exit from the European Darts Championship, Van Gerwen dropped from 10th to 13th in the PDC Order of Merit. Van der Voort believes even that position paints too flattering a picture of his friend’s current level.

“If you’re completely honest, he doesn’t belong there either. He should be lower. He’s my best friend, so I genuinely want what’s best for him. But when you look at it, he doesn’t belong in the top 16 right now. You have to be honest about that.”

Van der Voort pointed to the performances of other players who are currently below Van Gerwen in the world rankings.

“There are players below him who are performing better. You shouldn’t focus on that. You have to make sure your own level is where it needs to be.”

The drop in the rankings could also have major consequences for Van Gerwen’s tournament schedule. If he falls further, he could lose his seeded status at certain events and may even have to play in qualifying tournaments.

“You have to seriously consider that now. You might have to play qualifying tournaments or start your Euro Tour campaign on Friday.”

Michael van Gerwen at the European Darts Championship

Michael van Gerwen has dropped to 13th in the world rankings

“A year without the Premier League would be better for his career”

Next year’s Premier League Darts also came up. Van Gerwen has been a regular in the prestigious competition for years, but Van der Voort questioned whether playing in his current situation would be wise. “For his career, I think the best thing would be to take a year off. Definitely,” he said.

He did, however, add an important caveat. In his view, a year without the Premier League would only make sense if Van Gerwen used the extra time to improve his game. “But only if he really gives it everything. He can’t think: no Premier League, so I’ve got more time off.”

At the same time, Van der Voort expects his close friend to play in the competition if he is invited. “I don’t think he can turn it down commercially, because of sponsor commitments and things like that. I think he’ll play in the Premier League.”

“The worst thing you can do is feel sorry for yourself”

Van der Voort is clear about what Van Gerwen needs to do next: work hard and start winning matches again as soon as possible. In his view, there is no room for self-pity.

“The worst thing you can do now is feel sorry for yourself. Then you start feeling sorry for yourself, and that’s the stupidest thing you can do. You have to get angry with yourself. You’re out on Friday, so you should be practising on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.”

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Van der Voort stressed, however, that he did not get the impression Van Gerwen felt sorry for himself after losing to Doets.

“He didn’t, by the way. But if you start feeling that way, you’re in an even worse position.”

Samuel GillChief Content Officer

Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.

Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.

In his current role, Samuel works closely with editors and writers to ensure content meets clear journalistic standards, with a focus on source verification, editorial consistency, and timely updates when new, confirmed information becomes available.

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