"I don’t want to travel, I just want to be at home with my family": Nathan Aspinall openly not enjoying darts at the moment

After a difficult spell, Nathan Aspinall made his presence felt again on the European Tour. In Munich, the Englishman booked his place on finals day. In a charged clash with German player Ricardo Pietreczko, “The Asp” showed not only his class but above all his fighting spirit — something that had been missing of late.

Aspinall beat Pietreczko 6-5 in the second round of the German Darts Grand Prix and spoke to DartsNews afterwards. “Yeah, it was a big game tonight,” Aspinall began candidly to DartsNews. “Obviously, after the disappointment in Belgium, I was very, very upset with my game, and I didn’t play very well in the Players Championship event midweek.”

Aspinall’s openness is telling. While many players prefer to keep their struggles behind closed doors, he speaks out about his mental state. And it is far from ideal right now. “I’m working on something behind the scenes to try and get myself fired up,” he explains. “I’m a bit flat at the moment.”

It is a striking admission from a player known for his passion and emotion on stage. That very fire has brought him big successes in the past, but seems temporarily dimmed now. “I’m very flat when I’m playing. I’m not enjoying playing darts at the moment,” he continues. “I don’t want to travel — I just want to be at home with my family at the moment. So I’m trying to find some motivation, and a lot of that comes from enjoying myself on stage.”

In that search, Aspinall is leaning back on what once made him successful: his expression and engagement during matches. The familiar self-and-crowd “firing up,” which often gave him that extra push. “When I used to give it a little bit of something, that used to get me pumped up and I used to enjoy that,” he says. “That’s what I tried to do today. I don’t want to force it — I want it to be natural.”

His opponent, Ricardo Pietreczko, played an unexpected role in that. The German is known for his outspoken stage presence, and it proved influential. “Ricardo was a perfect opponent because he likes to give it a little bit on stage, and that obviously fired me up,” said Aspinall. “He played well, he battled — kind of like playing myself, really.”

Playing a German in Germany can often come with a hostile atmosphere, but according to Aspinall that was not the case this time. In fact, he feels appreciated by the German crowd. “Yeah, of course. There’s not many places I go where I get booing or anything like that,” he says. “When you play a German, you expect it — but the German fans really, really appreciate me and like me.”

He believes that also stems from his efforts away from the main stage. “I do a lot of work in Germany, a lot of exhibitions, and I give everyone their time of day,” he adds. “I think that’s why I get a lot of respect.”

Beyond form and motivation, another issue looms: the intensive travel on tour. Aspinall has voiced criticism about it more often lately, and the topic came up again. “I’ve got no idea,” he says. “Obviously, I’m going to keep playing — it’s just hard work.”

“Whether it’s passports or lost luggage — my luggage came at two o’clock this afternoon. That’s not the PDC or darts’ fault, it’s Brexit and airports. There’s nothing anyone can do.”

The constant traveling, waiting, and organising takes its toll, especially in combination with a packed schedule. Aspinall doesn’t have a ready-made solution. “I think the only thing is I probably won’t play as many events,” he explains. “If I have a couple of weeks where it’s been a nightmare, I’ll just pull out if I want to, because I can’t be bothered.”

Notably, his motivation seems closely tied to his results. Aspinall is frank about it: success covers a lot, while poor form makes everything harder. “If I’m playing really well, I’ll sit in an airport for three hours — I’m not bothered,” he says. “If I’m playing rubbish, I don’t want to do it.”

With upcoming tournaments in mind, Aspinall is making deliberate choices in his schedule. He has already decided where he will and will not play. “I’m in Sindelfingen — I’m not in Graz,” he confirms.

That selective approach could help him stay fresher physically and mentally — something he clearly needs to find his top level again. The win in Munich therefore feels like more than just a victory. It is a step in the right direction, a sign that the fire is still there — even if it sometimes needs to be rekindled. “Yeah, great win, very happy,” Aspinall concludes. “It was a good game of darts… it was a big win.”