DRAW PDC Players Championship 25 | No Luke Littler, but Greaves, Van Gerwen and more back in Pro Tour action

The Players Championship double-header continues in Barnsley with the 25th event of the season, and the first-round draw once again throws up plenty of talking points.

Michael van Gerwen begins against Canadian Jim Long, looking to find rhythm on the floor after an inconsistent spell. Van Gerwen remains the clear favourite, but Long is experienced enough to take advantage if chances come his way.

Peter Wright faces a tricky opener against Darius Labanauskas, a player who has caused problems for big names before. Wright’s search for consistency has been well documented, and another early defeat would only raise more questions about his form.

Michael Smith meets Dennie Olde Kalter, with Smith expected to come through if he finds his range, while Jonny Clayton takes on Tom Bissell and James Wade begins against Adam Paxton – both ties that could prove testing if the seeds start slowly.

Among the most eye-catching clashes is Daryl Gurney vs Dimitri Van den Bergh. Gurney has shown flashes of his old scoring power this year, while Van den Bergh remains dangerous on his day, making this one of the round’s standout fixtures. Another all-Dutch contest sees Dirk van Duijvenbode take on Jelle Klaasen, with both players more than capable of producing bursts of heavy scoring.

Elsewhere, Ross Smith vs Florian Hempel looks a close-run affair, while Beau Greaves continues her ProTour campaign against Mickey Mansell. Greaves has already made a strong impression in 2025 and will be keen to add another scalp on the floor.

There are also intriguing openers for Rob Cross (vs Stefaan Henderyck), Dave Chisnall (vs Marvin van Velzen), Raymond van Barneveld (vs Christian Kist) and Krzysztof Ratajski (vs Berry van Peer) – all matches that could test some of the sport’s established names.

Players Championship 25 should provide another busy day of action in Barnsley, with the likes of Van Gerwen, Wright and Smith aiming to build form and confidence as the season edges closer to its decisive stages.