"I don't care": Gerwyn Price refuses to be drawn into best player in the world debate

Gerwyn Price delivered one of his most complete performances of recent memory at the 2025 World Matchplay, brushing aside Chris Dobey with a dominant display that firmly re-established him as one of the frontrunners for the title in Blackpool as he spoke to DartsNews afterwards.

Price, who averaged close to a record-breaking number for much of the match, was in complete control from the outset and admitted afterwards that he felt “in the zone” during a ruthless middle spell.

“I feel good after that game,” he said. “Obviously, I played really well—especially in the middle. I thought we both started well. I was fortunate to be 4–0 up and taking out, I think, a 146, which put Chris under a bit of pressure. I just kept ploughing in the scores then.”

Despite the heavy defeat, Price had words of respect for Dobey, insisting “he didn’t play badly at all,” but simply found himself overwhelmed by an opponent operating close to his peak.

Asked if he felt unbeatable during that stretch, Price was measured in his response. “Yes and no, because you know how it can go. I knew I was in the zone and playing really well, but it can just flip like that and you can start missing. After it got to 8–2, I was pretty confident I was going to win, I just had to get over the line.”

One of the most notable changes in Price’s game was his focus. Gone were the emotional peaks and troughs; instead, he maintained a consistent rhythm and attitude from the first dart to the last. “You saw when I took out the 146 and a couple of 180s—I still celebrated. That’s me. I have to let it out. But most of the game, I kept myself composed. I just got over the winning line, and that’s what I’m here to do.”

As the tournament now moves into its longer format, the Welshman is brimming with confidence.

“The longer the format, the more confident I feel, and the more belief I have in my game. Sometimes the cream rises, but there are so many good players left who’ll say the same. It’s going to be some tough battles if I want to win this trophy.”

While Price wasn’t actively tracking his stats mid-match, he was made aware he was threatening to break records. “To be honest, I glanced over when I was 3–0 or 4–0 up and saw I was averaging around 140 and Chris was on 107. I knew I was playing well and that he was too. I tried to keep on top of him, but the win was more important than what the average might’ve been worth.”

When asked about the message such a display might send to the rest of the field, Price shrugged off any suggestion that he was making a statement. “I don’t know—you’ll have to ask them. I’m confident in my own game. It gives me a good boost, but I don’t care about the rest.”

Looking ahead to the potential clash between Michael van Gerwen and Josh Rock, Price sees it as a tight one—though he made no secret of who he sees as favourite.

“I think Josh is playing fantastic. Michael’s not so good at the minute. It’ll be tough for Michael, but if he turns up like we know he can, he can win. I think Josh is favoured, but anything can happen.”

It’s been a resurgent period for Price after a quieter spell through parts of the Premier League season. He pinpointed the turn in form to when the tour schedule shifted.

“I played decently in the Premier League, but more so after it finished, when the Pro Tours and Europeans came along. That’s when I found my form. The last month, month and a half—that's when I’ve really shown it.”

“It was nice to make the play-offs, but it’s a hard battle to get through. Sometimes I even look forward to the Premier League being over.”

Rankings are also front of mind for the former world number one, who currently sits provisionally seventh.

“If I win this, I could get to world number four, off the back of the year I had last year. I never thought that was going to be possible when I was outside the top 16, scraping to get back in. But if you have a decent year, you can shoot right back up.”

Is he the best in the world again? “I think I’m getting back to my best. I don’t care about being the best in the world. I just want to play as well as I can, get ranking points under my belt, and get back into the top four—maybe world number one after the World Championship. There’s a lot of points on offer.”

As for how close this performance was to his peak, Price didn’t hesitate. “In the middle part of that game, I don’t think you can get any better. If I’m banging in 180–180 back-to-back, you definitely can’t get any better. I was decent at the beginning, slipped a bit toward the end—probably just trying to get over the line—but that was my A game. I’ve got a little bit more in the tank in patches, but that was probably my best.”

Asked whether that’s the level it’ll take to lift the title, Price was blunt. “If I play like that in the next round, I’ve got a really good chance. And if I play like that all the way through, there’s no reason why I can’t. There are so many players left who can do that too, so it’s going to be tough—but I think I’ve got a good chance.”

The crowd also played their part. Price was greeted with strong support in Blackpool, something that hasn't always been the case in his career.

“That’s what I look forward to every game—the crowd being behind me. Then I go and perform like that. I expected a few little boos today, which I got, I expected a bit more to be honest, but it was nice, it was good today.”

With a World Matchplay title now in his sights, some might be ready to put Price in the conversation for the top ten players of all time. Gezzy, as ever, left that one to others.

“I don’t really care. It’s not for me to decide—that’s for everyone else. If they put me in there, I’m happy, but if they don’t, it doesn’t matter to me. It doesn’t make any difference to my life, do you know what I mean?”

And when asked where that display ranks among the best he’s ever produced, he had one clear comparison in mind. “Yeah, right up there. I think I’ve played better before—I remember the Grand Slam final against Peter Wright when I won. I think I was averaging around 114 or 115 for most of the game. So that’s right up there—maybe second or third behind that. But yeah, it was a good game for me.”