EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW | Niels Zonneveld ready to take next step at World Championship: ''I want to make it to Christmas''

One of the Dutchmen who just might do well at the 2025 PDC World Darts Championship, is Niels Zonneveld. The 26-year-old left hander has developed well in 2024 and the draw at Alexandra Palace offers opportunity for a good result.

For the first time in his career, Zonneveld managed to keep his Tour Card after two seasons this time around and, in addition, 'Triple Z' qualified very comfortably for both the Players Championship Finals and the World Darts Championship. Dartsnews.com spoke exclusively with Zonneveld before he travels to London shortly for his fourth participation at the Alexandra Palace.

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Niels, placed seventh through the Pro Tour rankings for the World Darts Championship. You've had a nice season...

Yeah, I think so, too. I think it's been the best Pro Tour year so far, so that's only positive. It's also nice for once that I don't have to perform at the last four tournaments to make it to the World Championship.

When did you know qualification for the World Darts Championship was secured?

About halfway through the season I think. I already thought it had to be really weird to miss it, then I really had to get an injury so I couldn't play anymore.

By what kinds of things do you notice that it went better than last year?.

Especially that I won the first rounds a lot more often. So I think I made the difference there, where last year I lost first round fairly often. On top of that, if I made it through the first round, I often got a little further as well. This year I just won a very large percentage of my first rounds and that obviously helps a lot in your ranking.

At the end of the year I was also a seed a few times, which of course also helps in the draw. Then I also consistently made it to the board final (last 32, ed.). That makes it all a little easier to still get your pounds.

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Beginning last year, you quit your job to focus full-time on darts. Has this year been a confirmation that you made the right decision?

I think so. I tried a Tour Card period (of two years, ed.) without work once now. The first two times I lost my Tour Card and now I keep it really well. You don't know if it's exactly because of that, but at least it hasn't diminished.

What have your days looked like since then?

I just train a lot more than I did before and I notice that I have become more consistent because of that. Where I used to have an average of mid-80s in between, it's a lot less now. If it's a lot less now, I'm already around 87 or 88 average. I think that is due to training and rhythm and the hours put into it.

Niels Zonneveld may prepare for his fourth participation in the Worlds

Made three quarterfinals on the Pro Tour this year and even a semifinal on the Euro Tour. Is that something you had hoped for at the beginning of this season or had you perhaps set the bar a little higher?

I thought three quarterfinals was a bit meager though.... Apart from that I made a lot of second and third rounds and lost a few times at the last sixteen. Basically, I don't really think three quarterfinals is enough and would have actually liked to make a semifinal or final on the Pro Tour. You hope for that. If that doesn't work out then it's also good if you constantly win a few rounds. As for the Euro Tour, I am happy with a semi-final, because I had never reached that before. That is just positive that there is at least some improvement there.

Is the next step qualification for tournaments such as the World Matchplay, World Grand Prix and the European Championships?

I think certainly the European Championship and the World Grand Prix are high on my list as goals. Perhaps the World Matchplay is still a little too high. Anyway, you never know what will happen of course. But I definitely want to make it to one of those three next year.

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In any case, the semifinal at the Euro Tour already counts for next year's World Grand Prix race...

Yeah, so I'm in pretty good shape for that now, too. We still have ten months to go, of course, but at least I'm competing for spots and I'm trying to hold on to that.

At the Players Championship Finals you were there. There you made it to the third round after wins over William O'Connor and Nathan Aspinall, which is a result you can take forward, right?

I think that's a great result, especially since I lose to a Mike de Decker in top form after that. I think there were chances in that match, but I just wasn't sharp. The first two rounds were fine; the finishes were good and so were the doubles. Twice I threw close to a hundred average. Besides, beating someone like Aspinall in a major is always good, you can really use that towards the World Championship.

You say you were not sharp in your match against Mike de Decker. Does that have to do with the fact that you had to play a match in the afternoon and evening session? That's something you haven't experienced very often.

You say that well, I think that's exactly it actually. You have to get used to it a little bit anyway and find what is the right way to get through that interval. At the Players Championship Finals I noticed I wasn't quite focused in the evening. Then you have to look a little bit to see why that is and what can I do next time to make it better.

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Has that to do with eating and resting? For example, going back to your hotel room?

I did. I did go right back to the hotel, ate some food, and rested for a while. Didn't sleep, just took it easy and then went back (to the hall, ed.). Of course, what works is also a little different for each person.

I have also asked Vincent (van der Voort, ed.) or Michael (van Gerwen, ed.) what do you think is very good, because I'm just not that much at home in it yet. They gave me some advice and I try to listen to that. Maybe I should eat later, less or more, I don't know. I have to find a balance in that. In Prague (where Zonneveld reached the semi-finals, ed.) things went okay. Of course I also played in the afternoon and evening, but even then I did not reach the level of the afternoon. So that is a point for attention.

For the second year in a row, Niels Zonneveld made it to the last sixteen at the Players Championship Finals

The sights are now set on the World Darts Championship. What do the final days look like before heading to Ally Pally?

Mostly a lot of training. I happen to be training with Kim Huybrechts right now. We did that for three days this week, a lot of hours. I also go to physio a couple of times, other than that it's just making sure you're ready. I think it's all good. I have nothing to complain about at the moment, and think I'm just throwing well. I hope I can take that to the World Championship.

So what does such a workout with Kim look like?

Many games, but then when we play a match we do it with sets. We also try to take a break of a few minutes between sets. Then you get used to the breaks that (at the World Cup) are inserted after the first and second set.

In the first round of the World Darts Championship, you will play Robert Owen. Is that an opponent that suits you well?

It's actually a tough draw for the first round, because he was almost in the same bowl of balls that I was in.I really have to be on my guard, because he's just a good player. He has thrown above 90 average, I think, over the whole year, so I just have to be on the ball. I think it's an advantage that I know who I'm up against and I know what to expect.

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Looking a little further into the draw we see Gabriel Clemens listed and then possibly Dave Chisnall. That could have been a lot worse it seems to me.

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Is it something that you yourself are also aware of that this might be a chance to make a good run at the World Darts Championship?"

Well I'm trying to really focus mostly on the first round now, because nobody wants to lose that. You never want to lose in the first round of the World Championship and Robert Owen is also not someone I'm going to just waltz over. Saying in advance that I may look at the second round I'm not going to do that at all either. I'm focusing on Robert Owen first, because that just has to be won first.

Last year, you won your first match at the World Championship. Is it nice that you already have that one in so you don't have to hiccup against it?

In the end I did. If I had lost in the first round last year, I would have lost three times in the first round at the World Championships and now I would have gone there for the fourth time. So it's nice that I at least got that win, so people don't talk about that anymore.

In conclusion; when is the World Championship successful for you?

I actually want to make it to Christmas anyway, there's a look at that. It also just kind of depends. If I play well and I reach my level and at some point I run into someone who is better than me at that point, then I'm okay with that.

The World Darts Championship begins for Niels Zonneveld on Monday, Dec. 16, with a match against Robert Owen