“I got in a lot of trouble for it” – Nathan Aspinall admits Saudi Arabia Darts Masters comments ‘came out wrong’

Nathan Aspinall has revealed he faced trouble over his controversial assessment of the inaugural Saudi Arabia Darts Masters crowd and admits his comments during a live interview did not come out as intended.

The two-time major champion raised eyebrows in January after claiming spectators in Riyadh “weren’t all there of their own accord”.

His remarks followed a 6-1 opening-round victory over Lourence Ilagan at the first PDC tournament staged in Saudi Arabia.

Aspinall went on to reach the semi-finals at the Global Theater, beating Man Lok Leung before suffering a 7-5 defeat to Michael van Gerwen. Six months later, the Stockport star has insisted he was never unhappy with the tournament itself.

“The way they looked after us and treated us in Saudi Arabia, was better than any tournament I've ever played in,” Aspinall explained in an exclusive interview with 247Bet. “We were treated like superstars. I loved doing the walk-on. It was something different and I thought it was brilliant.”

His original comments instead concerned a crowd far removed from the loud audiences regularly encountered at major events in Britain and across Europe.

“The comment I made at the time was about the fact that the crowd itself weren't creating the same atmosphere as we’re used to,” continued the 35-year-old. “It came out wrong when I did my live interview, and I got in a lot of trouble for it. But what I meant was that you could tell there were a lot of complimentary tickets given out. The venue was full, but not with people who had bought tickets. It just felt a bit corporate. That's what I meant.”

Aspinall believes unfamiliarity with professional darts was only one possible explanation.

“They probably don't watch darts that much,” said the 2019 UK Open and 2023 World Matchplay champion. “And two, they probably just respect the players a bit more than in the UK and Europe and want to just sit and watch what we have to offer. It is nice to play in those conditions for a change. As much as I love the louder crowds, sometimes it is nice to just look out and see people actually watching the sport.”

Despite the controversy surrounding his initial interview, Aspinall would make no major changes to the event.

“I do think the tournament was a great success. I really do,” he said. “It was a different atmosphere, which made it tough, but it’s always tough when you go to these places that don’t have a massive darts following. So I don't think I would change anything about the Saudi event. We were looked after very well, and it was well received in the end.”

The PDC faced similarly subdued audiences during its early attempts to establish a foothold in the United States. The US Darts Masters has since moved to New York’s Madison Square Garden, where Aspinall finished runner-up to Luke Humphries in 2025 after previously winning the event in Las Vegas six years earlier.

“How else do you get more interest in the sport, apart from if you keep going back and back, and let it grow?” Aspinall asked.

“We did that with America. It used to be absolutely pants playing darts in America at the start, and now we're selling out the big arena at Madison Square Garden," he added. “So yeah, I think with persistence, the Saudi event will come through and become better on its own.”

Aspinall has remained among the PDC’s leading contenders during 2026, winning the German Darts Grand Prix and reaching World Series semi-finals in both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. He is now world No15 after averaging 101.24 in an 11-8 World Matchplay defeat to eventual champion Littler in Blackpool.