"I deserve a statue in Barry Hearn’s garden" – Van Gerwen jokes about his influence on the growth of darts

Michael van Gerwen opened his campaign at the Saudi Arabia Darts Masters with a comfortable 6–1 victory over Nitin Kumar, but despite the convincing scoreline, the world number one was far from satisfied with his performance.

“The result was good, but the performance was a bit crap,” Van Gerwen admitted afterwards. He also pointed to the playing conditions inside the venue as a contributing factor. “Everyone thinks the weather is nice and warm outside, but inside the venue it was absolutely freezing.”

With a career filled with major finals and world titles, Van Gerwen acknowledged that finding motivation for an opening match at a World Series event is not always straightforward. “One hundred percent it’s not always easy,” he said. “But I don’t do anything half-heartedly. Sometimes you need to push yourself a little bit more.”

Ultimately, the Dutchman was content to simply get the job done. “I’ve won the game, and tomorrow most of the big boys are going to be playing again, and then we’ll see who’s really the best.”

The Saudi Arabia Darts Masters represents another significant step in the PDC’s global expansion, and Van Gerwen has long been regarded as one of the sport’s leading ambassadors. While he does not overstate his role, he clearly embraces the responsibility. “It’s always nice to be part of it,” he said. “I always try to give everything 100 percent, and that’s why I still love what I do. When you go into new territories, it’s good for darts, but not only for darts — it’s good for sport globally.”

Having competed across multiple continents during his career, Van Gerwen admitted that playing in Saudi Arabia felt unusual at first. “It’s a bit weird,” he said. “You don’t expect to play darts in countries like this, but they take any sport on board.”

He compared the experience to previous visits to emerging markets. “I can remember the first time we went to Singapore — there were only a few people in the crowd. You see the same thing with boxing and football. It always takes time to get your foot on the ground, so you need to give them that time.”

This event marked Van Gerwen’s 51st appearance on the World Series circuit, underlining his longevity at the top of the game. While he remains clear about where his priorities lie, he stressed the importance of these tournaments for the sport’s wider development. “Realistically, the World Ranking tournaments are the most important ones,” he explained. “But if you look at the global growth of darts, tournaments like this are really important.”

Reflecting on his travels, he listed destinations including Australia, New Zealand, Japan, China, Dubai, Las Vegas and New York. “You name it, I’ve been there,” he said. “Now we’re coming to this part of the world. Wherever it is, you have to try to win the tournament. That’s the only thing that matters to me.”

On a personal level, Van Gerwen was characteristically modest — with a touch of humour — when asked about his own contribution to the sport’s growth. “I deserve a statue in Barry’s garden,” he joked, before quickly downplaying the remark. “No, I’m not going to give myself that credit — let other people decide that. I just try to do what I love most, play on stage, and give everyone a great night.”