"I come here trying to forget about it": Callan Rydz sheds tears amid struggles away from the oche

Callan Rydz admitted he was “just grateful to be through” after edging past Daryl Gurney in a dramatic, topsy-turvy battle at the 2026 PDC World Darts Championship — a match that showcased not only his finishing brilliance but also the emotional weight he is carrying away from the oche.

Rydz produced two spectacular 167 checkouts, narrowly missed a third, and held his nerve in a tense deciding set to book his place in the next round at Alexandra Palace. Despite the quality on display, the 27-year-old said the match was about survival as much as scoring.

“You know, the first set I played okay,” Rydz reflected afterwards. “I should have won the first leg and I just thought, if you don’t settle now, it’s because of that. Winning the first set was a massive boost. Daryl came out in the second set all guns blazing, so I’m just grateful to be through.”

The highlight moments came in the form of two enormous 167 finishes — and nearly a third — something even Rydz admitted was out of character. “I wouldn’t normally have gone for the third 167,” he said. “I’m one of these that just lays it up, don’t do anything silly, but I knew he wasn’t on a finish. I just thought, if I do hit the treble it would probably be a first.”

Despite those moments of brilliance, Rydz insisted the result mattered more than the manner. “Like I say, I’m just very grateful to be through.”

Rydz has now made multiple deep runs at the World Championship, including two previous quarter-final appearances, and once again appeared at his most comfortable under the sport’s brightest lights. “I don’t know what it is,” he admitted. “Obviously, this is the best time to play well. It’s the biggest event and this event can change your life, so if you’re going to play well anywhere, this is the place to do it.”

That big-stage pedigree could next see him face close friend Josh Rock, or Joe Comito, and Rydz made it clear that friendships are left at the door once the game starts — though not forgotten. “If I do play Josh, it’ll be a quick game,” he said with a smile. “Me and Josh get on really well, so if it is Josh, I wish him all the best beforehand. We’re good friends. But if it’s Joe, Joe played alright in his first game, so you can’t underestimate him.”

Much of Rydz’s interview was shaped by his openness about ongoing issues away from darts — something he admitted makes it difficult to fully embrace the Ally Pally spotlight, even with the crowd firmly behind him. “I wear my heart on my sleeve,” he said. “It’s hard when you’ve got stuff going on back home. I come here and try to forget about it, but it’s hard. I play for my family, so yeah, it’s hard, but I’ve got a job to do.”

While the Alexandra Palace crowd chanted his name, Rydz admitted his mind was elsewhere. “I hear them saying my name and I don’t get a smile,” he said. “At the same time, I just wish I was home.”

Rydz spoke warmly about his opponent, revealing a long-standing friendship with Gurney that stretches back nearly a decade. “Our first European Tour together was in Gibraltar,” he explained. “We were just laughing, joking, practising together. That was probably 2017, so I’ve known Daryl a long time. We’ve always got on really well.”

That respect extended beyond the stage, with Gurney offering words of encouragement after the match. “He just said, ‘It’s all you, lad. Don’t worry about anything. Just focus on yourself,’” Rydz revealed.

On the oche, Rydz felt the match could easily have slipped away when Gurney hit top gear. “Him winning the second set like that could easily have made it 2–0 to him and then I’m chasing,” he said. “Even in the third set he was pummelling 140s and 180s.”

A deciding set tiebreak brought back memories of a painful loss to Peter Wright years earlier — but this time, Rydz was determined to respond differently. “I don’t want to say that experience helped because it was a long time ago,” he said, “but it definitely gave me motivation to win it this time.”

Asked whether the victory showed his growth as a player, Rydz was unequivocal. “Yeah, 100%,” he said. “I know I can do it. Most people on tour know I can do it, but doing it is a different thing.”

He also hit back at criticism often directed at players online. “You go on social media and people call players bottle jobs,” he said. “They think we should be averaging 150 every game. I don’t get bottle jobs, I don’t get one-hit wonders.”

Rydz admitted that a few years ago, he may not have survived such a pressure-filled contest. “Probably not,” he said. “Definitely not. I’ve matured. I’m still an absolute nutter, 100%, but I know myself I’ve matured, and that performance shows it.”

Despite suggestions that his big-stage performances mark him as a potential Premier League player, Rydz was quick to shut down the idea at least for now. “I’m nowhere near the Premier League,” he said. “I’m not ready to travel 16 or 17 weeks, being away from home with what’s going on at the minute. Not a chance.”

For Rydz, the motivation remains deeply personal. “I play for my family,” he said. “My grandma, my grandad, my mum, they’re the ones that got me into darts. Everything I do is for them.”

He also referenced Luke Humphries’ rise after speaking openly about his own struggles, acknowledging that inspiration can be drawn even if public understanding is often lacking. “We’re all human beings,” Rydz said. “Everyone struggles. I’m not afraid to say I’m struggling, but then you get fans saying it’s just excuses. If people knew what I was going through, they’d understand.”

For now, though, Rydz’s focus remains exactly where it needs to be. “I can’t look past my next game,” he said. “Whether it’s Josh or Joe, I’m fully focused on that.”