"Got to the point where I nearly told one of the staff I was going to be sick": Tom Sykes describes nerves behind his TV debut at the UK Open
PDC
Tom Sykes is enjoying the best season of his darts career. The Englishman from Yorkshire made his debut on the PDC ProTour this year and has quickly shown that he belongs at the highest level.
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The 33-year-old has adapted rapidly to life among the world's best players. Although this is only his first full year as a Tour Card holder, Sykes has already impressed with strong performances on the ProTour and a standout run to the semi-finals of a European Tour event. Away from darts, Sykes still lives in Castleford with his partner, Emma.
“I live in Cas with my partner of four years, Emma. No children yet," he said to Bang on Target.
Asked to rate his first season among the sport's elite, Sykes was positive, although he believes there is still plenty of room for improvement. “I’d give it a seven. The reason being I’d have liked a few more European Tour events under my belt.”
So far, Sykes has qualified for just one European Tour event, but he certainly made the most of that opportunity. Even so, he had hoped to feature on the European stage more often.
“I’d say I put myself under a bit too much pressure because my main goal this year was to qualify for more of those Euro ones. Looking back, I’ve probably tried too hard at times.
“My ProTour performances have generally been really solid though, so that’s a positive. I just want more stage time now and to keep making the latter stages of tournaments. Qualifying rewards the hard work you put in.”
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Dream European Tour debut
Although he has only made one European Tour appearance so far, his debut at the Slovak Darts Open was one to remember. Sykes reached the semi-finals at the first attempt, leaving a huge impression.
While many players struggle with nerves on the big stage in front of packed crowds, Sykes relished the experience. “It honestly wasn’t that bad,” he said. “I enjoyed every single minute of it. I was more nervous playing Madars [Razma] in the last match to get there. Once I was in Slovakia, it almost felt like a free hit.”
Sykes made an excellent start to the tournament, defeating two former German European Tour winners, Niko Springer and Martin Schindler. He produced an impressive display against Springer before battling back from 4-2 down to beat Schindler. He then overcame Cameron Menzies and Jermaine Wattimena to set up a semi-final against Rob Cross. That match, however, did not go as he had hoped.
“Yeah, I didn’t really play great in that game. It was incredibly hot! And my darts were sticking to my hands.”
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Tom Sykes has had a great year.
Despite the disappointment, the Englishman looks back proudly on his breakthrough weekend. With several more qualifying opportunities remaining, Sykes still believes he can secure a place at the European Championship.
“Oh yes. So many positives looking back. The whole experience left me wanting more. If I manage to qualify for a few more, then I’ve every confidence I can do it.”
Almost sick with nerves before TV debut
Although his breakthrough has come this year, Sykes had already experienced playing on television during last year's UK Open in Minehead. After beating Dutchman Owen Roelofs, he faced Thibault Tricole on the main stage.
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His run eventually ended in the third round against William O'Connor, but the experience convinced Sykes that he belonged on that stage.
“I was really nervous. I got to the point where I nearly told one of the staff I was going to be sick,” he laughed. “I stayed in the practice area trying to calm myself down, but as soon as I got to the top of the walk-on everything disappeared.”
But his highlight comes away from the stage. "Just mixing it with the big boys. On my very first Players Championship outing in Hildesheim, I beat two legends in Raymond van Barneveld and Peter Wright.”
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From football back to darts
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Remarkably, Sykes was largely absent from the darts scene between 2016 and 2024. The reason was simple: football.
“I just loved playing football more. I dreamed of making it, but everyone was telling me otherwise, hence the return to darts. I played in an exhibition recently at the pub where I used to be part of their football team. The manager wanted me to re-sign, but nah. Not for me. I honestly couldn’t think of anything worse than playing football now.”
Sykes went full time before he even got his Tour Card after being one of the best players without it. He was superb on the MODUS Super Series in particular.
“I worked in a warehouse driving forklift trucks before making the difficult decision to quit around five months ahead of Q School.
“I was only working four or five days a month towards the end. I was doing well enough on the Challenge Tour and MODUS Super Series that my employer kept giving me unpaid time off because I’d already used all of my holiday in the first six months.”
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“I’d already had ten or eleven call-ups the previous campaign before winning my Tour Card, so it didn’t feel completely brand new. I wasn’t overawed when I walked out for my first game to face the likes of Van Gerwen and other big names.”
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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