“I was leaving. I had no interest in darts” – Jonny Clayton reveals he was close to quitting in 2023

Jonny Clayton booked his place in the second round of the 2026 PDC World Darts Championship with a 3–1 victory over Adam Lipscombe. It was not a vintage performance from The Ferret, but it was a mature display in which the Welshman stood firm at the key moments.

Clayton did not hide how tense he felt heading into his opening match. Quite the opposite.

The nerves were not limited to Clayton himself. Even before stepping on stage, he had been given a glimpse into the mindset of his opponent, with Lipscombe openly admitting how he was feeling.“He did tell me beforehand that he was nervous. I thought, if that’s not to my advantage, nothing is,” Clayton said. “I tried to take that on board and just win the game. Luckily enough, I did.”

That honesty, Clayton acknowledged, is part of what makes a first-round match so treacherous, particularly against a debutant with little to lose.“We’re all nervous up there,” he later stressed. “We’re all just praying to win that first match. Tonight was my night.”

During the contest, Clayton went through spells where finishing deserted him, something he was keenly aware of himself.“Yeah, the last set was good, but I had a lot of chances earlier with three darts in hand and I couldn’t get anywhere near a double,” he said. “That’s my problem at the moment and I need to sort that out.”

At the same time, it was precisely that closing set that gave him encouragement. If he can replicate that level of finishing, he believes his outlook will quickly improve.“But if I can finish like I did in that last set, I’ll be okay,” Clayton added.

It fitted the picture of a player still searching for consistency, but confident that the foundations are there.“I hope so. I really hope so,” he said when asked whether fans would now see the real Ferret again. “I know the game’s there, it’s just about putting it together on stage.”

Clayton also acknowledged that he has been tinkering with his equipment in recent months, from darts to stems and fine details. The temptation to revert to the set-up with which he previously won major titles has been strong, and that temptation was there again ahead of this World Championship.

Awaiting him in the second round is Dom Taylor, a match-up Clayton immediately identified as a challenging one.

Yet Clayton is determined not to get drawn into scenarios, seedings or projected routes through the draw.

Even when it was pointed out that his section of the draw looks favourable on paper, he dismissed the idea.

Clayton was also asked about the different kind of pressure that comes with his status as one of the higher seeds. While he often says he prefers to fly under the radar, he accepts that expectations are now part of the job.

That context includes not only prize money and rankings, but also the wider implications for Premier League selection, something Clayton admitted does cross his mind.

Still, there is an acceptance that some things remain out of his control.

He also reflected on how different it feels to be one of the players being hunted rather than the hunter.

Asked which role is harder, he answered without hesitation.

One of the most revealing moments of the press conference came when Clayton spoke about emotion rather than technique, and about the hunger that still drives him.

That smile, he admitted, was absent during a difficult period in 2023, when he openly contemplated walking away from the sport altogether.

He also linked that renewed enjoyment to finding balance away from the oche. Giving up his day job, he explained, was ultimately a straightforward decision after being told he had to choose.

Still, he misses aspects of working life and has tried to find distractions, with mixed results.

Ultimately, he is realistic about what darts represents for him now.

And, in classic Clayton fashion, he finished with a tongue-in-cheek flourish.