"Hard work pays off. Lots more to come" - Ross Smith reacts to breaking into world's top 10 for first time

Ross Smith has made great strides in recent years. Continuing his steady rise up the PDC Order of Merit, 'Smudger' has broken new ground in the latest update, making a first appearance in the world's top 10.

From a first major ranking title in 2022, to emerging as arguably the premier 180 hitter in the entire sport, Smith's stock continues to rise. The Englishman passed Dimitri van den Bergh, who now finds himself back in eleventh place. For Smith, even further progression beckons in the coming weeks, with seventh place proving a realistic option. At the end of October, however, Smith is likely to go down another notch in the world rankings. Then he must defend his title at the European Darts Championship, which he won in 2022. That final victory earned him £120,000 in prize money at the time.

Reacting to his latest breakthrough via his official social media pages, whilst simultaneously reflecting on the latest block of Pro Tour action from Players Championship 15, 16 and 17, Smith shared his pride at the achievement of cracking the top 10 in the world.

"I’m not big on self-reflection and I’m gutted I lost in the semi-final today but I am now in the top 10 darts players in the world," 'Smudger' wrote following Players Championship 17. "It’s only 6 years ago I took a break from darts and lost my tour card. Hard work pays off. Lots more to come."

After putting in a career best performance at the World Matchplay last month reaching the quarter-finals, Smith will now head into the busiest part of the season, with majors such as the World Grand Prix, the European Championship, the Grand Slam of Darts, the Players Championship Finals and of course the World Darts Championship with confidence levels on the rise.