For Michael Smith, the 2025 PDC Winmau World Masters ended in a major disappointment. The former world champion lost 3-1 to Danny Noppert in the opening round. As it turns out though, there is a very good reason why Smith did not play to his expected level.
Smith was determined to enter 2025 better than he had finished the previous year. The 34-year-old Englishman, winner of the 2023 World Darts Championship, went out in his opening match against Kevin Doets at the last World Championship. It had not been a successful year anyway for Smith, who was left without a major title. After his defeat, Smith received many negative messages on social media. Therefore, he felt the need to clarify the situation on social media.
"Feel like this is needed to be said as I'm annoyed seeing I'm finished or what's happening is this or that. The last 6 weeks I've had a grade 2 AC shoulder injury and seeking physio every 2/3 days," Smith explains. "But for 3/4 years I've been fighting something else. I broke both my wrists when I was 19 and now it's catching up with me. No suffering with arthritis in my right hand."
"This isn't sympathy or a cry for help. This is letting you all into it," Smith continues. "I've never given up or stopped from any pain. I played a world final with a broken hand. I made a UK Open final with a hole in my groin. I've won Pro Tours and Euro Tours with a problem in my ankle."
As such, Smith strongly refutes the idea that his time among the darting elite is slipping away. "I didn't say this earlier as I was scared of losing Prem or World Series but I didn't get picked anyway so why not now. I see the specialist on Monday and when I know, you will know what will happen over the next month or so," BullyBoy concludes. "I'll never let anything beat me and I promise I'll be back very quickly!"
— Michael Smith (@Michael180Smith) January 31, 2025