From Wessel Nijman’s rise to Michael van Gerwen’s decline: how the Dutch players performed in the majors in 2026

Sunday, 11 October 2026 at 13:00

Last week, the World Grand Prix final was played. Luke Humphries came from behind spectacularly to beat Gerwyn Price 6-4. Remarkably, there were no Dutch players in the final. However, that was far from a first at the PDC majors this year.

Five individual majors have already been played this year, yet no Dutch player has reached a final. The only Dutch success on the stage came at the World Cup of Darts. Gian van Veen and Michael van Gerwen reached the final together, but England proved too strong.

With 22 PDC Tour Card holders, the Netherlands has the largest number of professional players after England this year. Yet their results at the major televised tournaments have so far fallen short of expectations. How far did the Dutch players go at the majors, and who stood out most? Dartsnieuws.com reviews the season and assesses the performances of the Dutch Tour Card holders.

Nijman leads the Dutch on the 2026 ranking

We discuss the Dutch Tour Card holders in order of their position on the year-to-date ranking, which reflects their performances in 2026. The first Dutchman on the list is Wessel Nijman in fourth place. The 26-year-old has already won eight PDC ranking titles this year, including six Players Championships and two Euro Tours. It is therefore no surprise that he is currently the highest-ranked Dutchman.

However, Nijman has so far been unable to carry his strong floor and European Tour performances into the major televised tournaments. At the World Masters, he reached the main draw after victories over Stefan Bellmont, Niko Springer and Gabriel Clemens. His campaign ended immediately in the opening round, where Jonny Clayton beat him 3-1.

Nijman entered the UK Open in the fourth round. He impressed with a convincing 10-1 victory over compatriot Raymond van Barneveld. His tournament ended one round later, however, when Gerwyn Price defeated him 10-5.

Nijman also survived the opening round at the World Matchplay. He beat Dave Chisnall 10-5 before facing Gian van Veen in the last 16. In a thrilling contest, Nijman looked on course for the quarter-finals for a long time, but Van Veen eventually prevailed 14-12. At the World Series of Darts Finals on home soil, Nijman exited in the last 16 after a 10-7 defeat by James Wade.

A similar scenario unfolded at last week’s World Grand Prix. Nijman made a strong start by beating Rob Cross 2-0 in the opening round. Jonny Clayton awaited him again in the second round and once more blocked his path. The Welshman won 3-1 and sent Nijman home.

Although Nijman has not yet achieved the major results he hoped for, his season remains impressive. With eight ranking titles, he has already shown that he belongs among the most successful players of 2026. He will also have several more opportunities to prove himself on the big stage this autumn. Nijman is seeded for the upcoming majors and will have one main objective: finally competing for a title at a major televised tournament.

Wessel Nijman’s results at the 2026 PDC majors

Major	Round reached	Opponent	Result
World Masters	Last 32	Jonny Clayton	1-3 in sets
UK Open	Fifth round	Gerwyn Price	5-10
World Matchplay	Last 16	Gian van Veen	12-14
World Grand Prix	Last 16	Jonny Clayton	1-3
World Series of Darts Finals	Last 16	James Wade	7-10

Consistent Van Veen, but no major breakthrough

The second Dutchman on the year-to-date ranking is Gian van Veen. The 24-year-old from Poederoijen began the year with great confidence after his impressive World Championship final appearance. He continued that form at the World Masters, reaching the semi-finals after victories over Ryan Joyce, Nathan Aspinall and James Wade. Luke Humphries awaited him there. Despite averaging over 100, Van Veen lost 5-0 to the eventual champion.

The UK Open then ended in disappointment. Van Veen lost his opening match to Rob Cross and could not build on his strong start to the season.

Meanwhile, the Dutchman had also begun his debut Premier League Darts season. He regularly showed that he can compete with the absolute world elite. Although Van Veen did not win a weekly title, he reached four finals. He eventually finished seventh in the overall standings.

At the World Cup of Darts, Van Veen formed the second-seeded Dutch pairing with Michael van Gerwen. The Netherlands entered in the last 16 and then defeated Sweden and Germany. Defending champions Northern Ireland also fell in the semi-finals, setting up a final against England. Luke Humphries and Luke Littler were too strong, however.

Van Veen also made his mark at the World Matchplay. He reached the semi-finals, where Gerwyn Price was his opponent. The Welshman eventually proved too strong, winning 17-10, leaving Van Veen just short of another final. He also reached the semi-finals at the World Series of Darts Finals, where Ross Smith won 11-8.

Van Veen reached the quarter-finals at the World Grand Prix as well. James Wade beat him there, meaning that a place in the last four again remained out of reach.

Van Veen has admitted that he feels he is still winning too few tournaments. The Dutchman regularly reaches the latter stages of major events, but has yet to convert those strong performances into major individual titles. That does not change the fact that he is enjoying an excellent season and establishing himself ever more firmly among the world’s best. With the upcoming majors ahead, Van Veen will have fresh opportunities to take the next step. The main question is whether he can finally crown his consistency with a major individual trophy.

Doets enjoys a breakthrough year

The third Dutchman on the year-to-date ranking is perhaps surprisingly Kevin Doets. The 28-year-old, who lives in Sweden, sits an impressive ninth. Doets has enjoyed an excellent season on the floor and European Tour, but has so far been unable to fully carry that form into the major televised tournaments.

Doets failed to reach the main draw at the World Masters. He suffered a narrow 3-2 defeat to Madars Razma in the second preliminary round, ending his campaign early.

At the UK Open, the Dutchman showed what he can do. Entering in the third round, Doets beat Ricardo Pietreczko 6-4. His compatriot Jeffrey de Graaf also fell victim to him. Doets therefore reached the fifth round, where he faced world champion Luke Littler. Despite a strong performance, he narrowly lost 10-8.

2026 was also a special year for Doets, as he made his World Matchplay debut. The Dutchman immediately impressed with an average of more than 104. It was not enough to survive the opening round, however. Ross Smith prevailed 10-6 and ended Doets’ Blackpool debut. The World Series of Darts Finals brought no success either, as Doets lost 6-3 to eventual champion Ross Smith in the opening round.

Doets also made his first World Grand Prix appearance. The double-start, double-finish format proved a difficult challenge. He lost 2-1 to Nathan Aspinall in his opening match, limiting his debut to a single contest.

Despite those early exits at the two most recent majors, Doets can look back on a strong season. His floor and European Tour performances have given him an excellent position on the year-to-date ranking. He is also seeded for the upcoming majors, where he will have new chances to stand out on the big stage. If he can maintain his form, further progress up the ranking is certainly possible.

Kevin Doets has already enjoyed a strong 2026

Solid Noppert

Danny Noppert sits eleventh on the year-to-date ranking. ‘The Freeze’ has had an inconsistent major season, with quarter-final appearances at the World Masters and UK Open currently standing as his best results.

Noppert began the year with a strong showing at the World Masters. After beating Daryl Gurney and Stephen Bunting, he reached the quarter-finals. Luke Humphries proved too strong there, winning 4-0.

The Dutchman also impressed at the UK Open, a tournament he has won in the past. In the fourth round, he defeated Dimitri Van den Bergh 10-4. He also produced a major highlight by hitting a nine-darter in that match.

Noppert continued his run with wins over Peter Wright and Luke Humphries, reaching the quarter-finals of a major for the second time in a row. Luke Littler awaited him there. The young Englishman prevailed 10-6 to end Noppert’s hopes.

The Dutchman could not build on those performances at the World Matchplay. Rob Cross beat him heavily, 10-3, in the opening round. The first round was also his finishing point at the World Series of Darts Finals after a 6-4 defeat by Littler.

Noppert also failed to progress deep at the World Grand Prix. After beating Ryan Joyce in the opening round, more seemed possible. The Welshman took revenge in the second round, winning 3-0 and eliminating the Dutchman.

Noppert has enjoyed some fine major moments this season, but has not yet turned them into a semi-final or final appearance. He will have several more chances to recover this autumn. With the exception of the Grand Slam of Darts, he is guaranteed a place in the remaining majors. Noppert will particularly hope to challenge for the title again at tournaments where he reaches his best level.

Majors bring little success for Wattimena

Jermaine Wattimena is sixteenth on the year-to-date ranking. ‘The Machine Gun’ has endured a difficult major season so far, surviving the opening round only once.

His major campaign began with a setback. Wattimena lost 3-0 to Chris Dobey in the opening round of the World Masters. He also failed to recover at the UK Open, losing his first match 10-5 to Mensur Suljovic.

The Dutchman hoped to break the negative spiral at the World Matchplay, but a good result again eluded him in Blackpool. James Wade beat Wattimena 10-7 in the opening round. He therefore went home after his first match at a major for the third consecutive event. That became four straight first-round defeats when he also lost 6-4 to Humphries at the World Series of Darts Finals on home soil.

There was finally an improvement at the World Grand Prix. Wattimena defeated Chris Dobey in the opening round to record his first major victory of the season. Luke Humphries awaited him in the second round, however. The eventual champion won 3-0, leaving Wattimena short of the quarter-finals in Leicester as well.

Outside the majors, Wattimena has not had a poor season. His position on the year-to-date ranking shows that he has regularly collected points in 2026. Still, he will want to improve his results at the major televised tournaments and give his season an extra boost.

The upcoming European Championship will be particularly important. Wattimena reached the final two years ago and therefore has a significant amount of prize money to defend. If he cannot match that performance, he risks losing ground on the world ranking. The Dutchman will do everything possible to produce another strong result in Dortmund.

Jermaine Wattimena is currently sixteenth in the world rankings

Van Duijvenbode succeeds at the World Matchplay

Next in this overview is Dirk van Duijvenbode, who sits eighteenth on the year-to-date ranking. ‘Aubergenius’ has had an inconsistent major season, but showed at the World Matchplay that he can still go deep at the highest level.

His World Masters campaign began with a setback. Van Duijvenbode failed to reach the main draw after losing 3-1 to Beau Greaves in the first preliminary round. He also failed to make an impact at the UK Open, losing his opening match to Gary Anderson.

The World Matchplay produced a much stronger performance. Van Duijvenbode began with a spectacular 13-11 victory over Chris Dobey. Another thriller followed in the second round, where he eliminated compatriot Michael van Gerwen 14-12. That sent him into the quarter-finals against Anderson. This time, the Dutchman prevailed and beat the Scot to reach the last four.

Luke Littler awaited him in the semi-finals and proved too strong. Van Duijvenbode could not maintain the high level of his earlier matches and suffered a heavy 17-5 defeat. He could still look back on a successful tournament, having eliminated two established names from the world’s elite.

At the World Series of Darts Finals, Van Duijvenbode faced Viktor Tingström in the opening round. He beat the Swede 6-4 before producing an upset by defeating Humphries 10-9. The quarter-finals proved his final stage after an 10-8 defeat by Van Veen.

Van Duijvenbode could not build on that strong performance at the World Grand Prix. He faced Gian van Veen in the opening round, but his compatriot proved too strong, winning 2-0. His tournament therefore ended after a single match.

The World Matchplay remains Van Duijvenbode’s highlight of the 2026 major campaign. The Dutchman has shown this season that he can compete with the absolute world elite on his best days. With the exception of the Grand Slam of Darts, he is seeded for the remaining majors this autumn. That gives him the chance to build on his strong Blackpool performance and add further shine to his season.

Zonneveld enjoys the best year of his career

Two places below Dirk van Duijvenbode sits Niels Zonneveld. ‘Triple Z’ has enjoyed an excellent season on the floor and European Tour, climbing significantly in the world rankings. At times, the Dutchman has also shown at the majors that he can increasingly compete with established names.

His major season began at the World Masters, where Zonneveld reached the main draw through the preliminaries. After victories over Jesus Salate, Henry Coates and Kim Huybrechts, he faced Gary Anderson. Zonneveld pushed the Scot hard, but Anderson eventually prevailed 3-2.

Zonneveld also survived one round at the UK Open. He beat Tom Bissell in his opening match, but Daryl Gurney proved too strong one round later. The Northern Irishman won 10-7 and ended the Dutchman’s campaign.

2026 was also the year of Zonneveld’s World Matchplay debut. He immediately impressed by pushing Stephen Bunting hard. In a thrilling match, Zonneveld even had chances to take control, but several missed match darts ultimately proved costly. Bunting escaped with a 13-12 win, denying the Dutchman a second-round place in Blackpool.

The World Grand Prix then produced Zonneveld’s best major performance of the season. He began with a victory over Josh Rock and then also defeated Gary Anderson. That sent him into the quarter-finals, where Luke Humphries awaited. The eventual champion proved too strong and ended the Dutchman’s excellent run.

Zonneveld can nevertheless look back on his season so far with confidence. His floor and European Tour performances show that he has made major strides, while the World Grand Prix proved he can go deep at a major. With the remaining major tournaments ahead, ‘Triple Z’ has fresh opportunities to confirm his progress and perhaps cause another surprise.

Concerns for Van Gerwen

For a long time, Michael van Gerwen would undoubtedly have been the first Dutchman in this overview. That is far from the case in 2026. The 37-year-old from Vlijmen is only 22nd on the year-to-date ranking and is enduring a highly inconsistent season in the major tournaments.

Van Gerwen began his major campaign with a setback at the World Masters. Damon Heta beat him 3-1 in the opening round, sending him home immediately. There was some recovery at the UK Open. After victories over Nathan Aspinall and Kai Gotthardt, he reached the last 16. James Wade awaited him there and won convincingly, 10-3.

The season also failed to go as Van Gerwen had hoped in the Premier League Darts. The Dutchman remains the competition’s record holder with seven weekly titles, but failed to reach the play-offs this year. He eventually finished fifth, just outside the top four places that secure a spot in the final phase.

Van Gerwen did produce a fine performance at the World Cup of Darts. Together with Gian van Veen, he formed the Dutch pair that reached the final. England, represented by Luke Humphries and Luke Littler, proved too strong. Despite the defeat, the final appearance gave Van Gerwen a positive moment in a season that has so far lacked major individual results.

2026 has so far been unsuccessful for Michael van Gerwen

After that result, Van Gerwen travelled to the World Matchplay hoping to rediscover his best form. He defeated Andrew Gilding in the opening round, but suffered a painful exit in the last 16. His compatriot Dirk van Duijvenbode won 14-12 and sent the former world champion home.

Van Gerwen then competed at the World Series of Darts Finals on home soil. As defending champion, he suffered an immediate first-round exit when Daryl Gurney won 6-5.

Van Gerwen could not turn his season around at the World Grand Prix either. He faced Ryan Joyce in the opening round, but the Englishman prevailed 2-1. Van Gerwen was therefore left with another early exit from a major.

The results at the major tournaments contrast sharply with the status Van Gerwen enjoyed for years in Dutch and international darts. He still has the experience and ability to perform at the highest level, but has too often failed to translate that into notable results this season. The remaining majors offer him further chances to change the tide and prove that he can once again play a leading role on the biggest stages.

Michael van Gerwen’s results at the 2026 PDC majors

Major	Round reached	Opponent	Result
World Masters	Last 32	Damon Heta	1-3 in sets pdc.tv
UK Open	Last 16	James Wade	3-10 NOS
Premier League Darts	5th place	-	-
World Matchplay	Last 16	Dirk van Duijvenbode	12-14 26.07.2026
World Series of Darts Finals	Last 32	Daryl Gurney	5-6 Sky Sports
World Grand Prix	Last 32	Ryan Joyce	1-2 in sets Sky Sports

Veenstra quietly goes about his business

We have to go considerably further down the year-to-date ranking for the next Dutchman. Richard Veenstra sits 43rd. ‘Flyers’ has had a limited major season, appearing at only two tournaments.

Veenstra failed to reach the main draw at the World Masters. He lost in the second preliminary round, ending his campaign early. He did reach the fourth round at the UK Open. After beating Alan Soutar, more seemed possible, but Gabriel Clemens edged him out 10-9 in a close contest.

Veenstra failed to qualify for the other individual majors this year. He will nevertheless have several important opportunities later in the season to show himself on the big stage. He has secured places at the Players Championship Finals and the World Darts Championship, where he will hope to give his season a positive turn.

Kuivenhoven fights to retain his Tour Card

Just behind Veenstra on the year-to-date ranking is Maik Kuivenhoven. A great deal is at stake for the Dutchman this autumn, as he remains locked in a difficult battle to retain his PDC Tour Card.

Kuivenhoven appeared at only one major this year: the UK Open. He lost his opening match 6-5 to Michael Unterbuchner. He therefore had few opportunities to prove himself at the major televised tournaments. For now, Kuivenhoven has qualified only for the Players Championship Finals and the World Darts Championship this autumn. Those events will be particularly important as he seeks to secure his place at the highest level.

Jimmy van Schie won his PDC Tour Card at the start of this year

Inconsistent debut year for Van Schie

Jimmy van Schie sits 64th on the year-to-date ranking. The towering Dutchman has had a remarkable year. After winning the WDF World Championship late last year, he then secured his PDC Tour Card. That gave him the chance to compete regularly against the world’s best within the PDC for the first time.

Van Schie began his major campaign impressively by reaching the World Masters main draw through the preliminaries. Ross Smith awaited him there and proved too strong, winning 3-1. Van Schie also appeared at the UK Open, where he lost 6-2 to Tom Bissell in his opening match.

The UK Open was so far the second and final major at which Van Schie has appeared this year. He failed to qualify for the other major tournaments. Later in the season, he will have an important opportunity at the World Darts Championship to gain experience and show what he can do at the highest level. After his successful period with the WDF, Van Schie will hope to continue progressing within the PDC.

Little success for Kist and Merkx

Several more Dutch Tour Card holders sit outside the top 64 of the year-to-date ranking. Christian Kist is currently 67th. The former BDO world champion has yet to win a match at a major this year. ‘The Lipstick’ will have further opportunities to appear on the big stage later in the season, as he has provisionally qualified for both the Players Championship Finals and the World Darts Championship.

A little further down the ranking, Alexander Merkx sits 73rd. He appeared only at the UK Open this year but made a strong impression. Merkx began with victories over Jannis Barkhausen, Marvin van Velzen and Sam Spivey. That sent him into the fourth round, where Jonny Clayton proved too strong. The Welshman ended the Dutchman’s campaign with a convincing victory.

Like Kist, Merkx can look forward to the Players Championship Finals and the World Darts Championship later this year. They represent important opportunities to produce a strong result and improve his ranking position.

Van Barneveld lost in the wilderness

Raymond van Barneveld is 79th on the year-to-date ranking. The five-time world champion is enduring a particularly difficult season and has so far been unable to reach his best level at the major tournaments.

‘Barney’ missed the World Masters at the start of the year, immediately losing an important opportunity to appear at a major. He did compete at the UK Open, beginning with a victory over Karel Sedlacek. Things went badly wrong in the next round, however. Van Barneveld suffered a heavy 10-1 defeat to compatriot Wessel Nijman.

The Dutchman never came into contention for qualification for the World Matchplay or World Grand Prix this year. His presence at the major televised tournaments was therefore extremely limited.

Van Barneveld is now 59 and faces the challenge of turning his season around. For now, he has secured only a place at the World Darts Championship. It will be an important appointment for the Dutch darts legend, who will want to show on the biggest stage that he can still compete at the highest level.

Raymond van Barneveld has fallen sharply down the world rankings

More Dutch players

Jeffrey de Zwaan, who regained his PDC Tour Card at the start of the year, has also made little impact in 2026 so far. The Dutchman exited in the World Masters preliminary rounds and also failed to win a match at the UK Open. As a result, De Zwaan is currently not scheduled to appear at any major this autumn.

Wesley Plaisier is also not enjoying the best season of his career. Like De Zwaan, the tall Dutchman exited in the World Masters preliminaries before losing immediately at the UK Open. His PDC Tour Card is also in serious danger. Plaisier has not qualified for any autumn major so far and urgently needs better results to protect his position on the PDC Tour.

Just behind De Zwaan and Plaisier is Jurjen van der Velde, who is still narrowly inside the top 90. The young Dutchman regained his PDC Tour Card at the start of the year. He missed the World Masters and did not progress beyond the second round at the UK Open. Van der Velde recently qualified for the World Darts Championship, currently the only major at which he will appear this year.

Chris Landman sits just outside the top 90 in 92nd place. ‘The Countryman’ has yet to win a match at a major this year and has not qualified for any major televised tournament this autumn.

Jeffrey Sparidaans won two matches at the UK Open before losing to Connor Scutt. He is also not currently scheduled to appear at another major in 2026.

Sietse Lap also secured his PDC Tour Card at the start of the year but has made little impact at the major tournaments. His only major victory came at the UK Open, where he defeated Ted Evetts. He then lost 6-1 to Cristo Reyes. Lap has not qualified for any autumn major so far.

The outlook is no brighter for Marvin van Velzen and Dennie Olde Kalter. Neither has won a match at a major this year, and neither has qualified for an event this autumn. Without a strong late-season surge, both Dutchmen risk losing their PDC Tour Cards.

Bram Coenen

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