"He’s never going to reach the playoffs like this": Michael van Gerwen's current plight assessed honestly by Vincent van der Voort

Concerns are mounting around Michael van Gerwen’s form following another disappointing night in the Premier League. The Dutchman, a seven-time winner of the prestigious tournament, suffered yet another early exit in Rotterdam, losing his opening match at Ahoy for the third consecutive year. His close friend and former top pro, Vincent van der Voort, didn’t mince words when reacting to the performance.

Van der Voort, who has long offered support and guidance to Van Gerwen, delivered a blunt assessment to De Telegraaf. “With this level of play, Michael van Gerwen does not belong in the top four,” he stated. “If you don’t win a single night, you have no business being in the semi-finals.”

Such comments strike a chord, particularly considering Van Gerwen’s decade-long dominance in darts. “You can see he’s searching right now,” Van der Voort observed. “Is he driving himself crazy? Of course he is. When you’ve been that good for so long, this must feel like pure torture.”

Facing Stephen Bunting on Thursday night, Van Gerwen endured a woeful start, averaging under 70 over the first three legs. Though he clawed his way back to force a decider at 5-5, Bunting held his nerve to claim victory. Van der Voort watched with visible frustration. “He gets mad at himself—and understandably so. We all know how good he is. That average after three legs was shockingly low, yet he still managed to fight back. You can see the will is there, but the form simply isn’t.”

Van der Voort also pointed to the punishing Premier League schedule as a contributing factor. “You need time to train, but during the Premier League, that time just doesn’t exist. It’s incredibly frustrating. Only after it ends can he begin to rebuild.”

With the playoffs set for May 29 at London’s O2 Arena, only the top four players will progress. At present, Van Gerwen looks unlikely to make the cut, and Van der Voort believes something must change quickly. “He’s never going to reach the playoffs like this. Something drastic needs to happen. In the past, he owned the stage—the celebrations, the intensity, the fire. Now it all feels like routine. He seems drained. And honestly, it’s hard to get fired up for a 41 score.”

This stretch marks unfamiliar territory for Van Gerwen, once the predator eyeing struggling opponents, now finding himself the one under pressure. “He used to look at others and wonder how they lost form,” Van der Voort noted. “Now he’s in that same situation.”

Still, hope remains. “If you put things into perspective, he’s still just outside the top four—fifth. And this is him at rock bottom. That’s something positive to take.”

Van der Voort closed with a reminder of Van Gerwen’s enduring quality, even amid this slump. “He can turn it around. He won’t suddenly average 110 again every night, but even a strong B-game from Michael is good enough to reach the semi-finals. We just have to be honest—for the first time in years, he’s not one of the favorites. Unfortunately.”