"I never expected be near the World Grand Prix": World Championship box ticked and onto the next for Niko Springer after brilliant Budapest win

The 2025 Hungarian Darts Trophy will go down in the books as the tournament in which Niko Springer definitively established his name in the darts world. The young German experienced an unprecedented rise and crowned it with his very first European Tour title. In a nerve-racking final at the MVM Dome, Springer was victorious 8-7 over Dutchman Danny Noppert. Springer thus climbed to 66th place in the world rankings.

Springer, only in his first season as a PDC Tour Card holder, had to fight his way into the main tournament through the qualifiers. That turned out to be just the beginning of a historic run. On his way to the title, he dealt with no fewer than six players from the top 20 in the world rankings.

His first statement came already in round one: Gian van Veen threw an average of 105, but Springer held on and pulled the match to his own. Then he left no stone unturned by Damon Heta: a convincing 6-1 victory took him to the final day.

There it became really impressive. In the Last 16, he knocked out former world champion Rob Cross, and against current world champion and world number one Luke Humphries he showed nerves of steel. With two consecutive 11 darters, Springer won the match and proved that he can compete with the world's best.

The semifinal against Josh Rock provided fireworks. Springer survived a matchdart from the Northern Irishman and in the deciding leg threw a masterful 170-finish - the finish of the tournament. This qualified him for his second European Tour final of the year.

In the final, he faced Danny Noppert. The Dutchman, number two in his country and one of the most consistent players on the circuit, initially looked like he was going to take the title. Noppert took a 4-2 lead and showed he was in shape. But Springer showed resilience, fought back and made it 5-5.

As often this weekend, the final had to be decided in an all-important last leg. For the third time in Budapest it turned out to be a nerve-racking denouement. This time it was Springer who controlled his nerves best. With a tight 14-darter he took the victory and the room erupted in cheers.

"I’m over the moon to be honest,” reflected Springer. "I took my chances, so I’m very happy – I can't believe it. You can see that the crowd is amazing, they were supporting me and I think I did a good job.”

With his title, Springer writes history: he is the first German ever to win the Hungarian Darts Trophy and also secures participation in the prestigious World Grand Prix. That's a huge milestone for a player who just a few months ago was primarily concerned with securing his World Cup debut.

“My goal was to qualify for the World Championships, and I did that some months ago, so now I can play with some freedom,” Springer continued. "I have nothing to lose, and I'm very happy that I won. I never expected to be near the World Grand Prix, but I think with the win today I'm in the race. At the moment, I'm just happy.”

With Niko Springer, the world of darts has undeniably added a new star. His mix of coolness, explosive scoring and the audacity to shine in the biggest moments make him a player to keep a keen eye on in the years to come. Budapest has remembered his name - and the rest of the world will soon follow.