"If you look at golf, the Masters is ranked as well": Michael van Gerwen believes all major darts tournaments should be ranked

Michael van Gerwen was in a composed mood after booking his place in the quarter-finals of the 2025 European Championship, delivering a steady performance that showcased both control and consistency — two qualities the Dutchman has been seeking to rediscover in recent months as he saw off Chris Dobey.

Speaking after his win, Van Gerwen admitted it might not have been spectacular, but it was exactly what he needed as he spoke to the media including DartsNews at the European Championship.

“I think it was an okay game,” he said. “In patches I played well, but more importantly, I was stable. I was okay the whole game. I think I was in control, and that’s also really important sometimes. Of course, to wipe someone off the board is nice, but to just be in control and work hard every leg — that sometimes helps you in the rest of the tournament.”

It was that control which stood out, with Van Gerwen acknowledging that earlier in the season, he’d let similar situations slip.

“Of course, of course,” he said when asked if that steadiness gave him confidence. “It’s still a long way to go — we’re only in the quarter-finals now. You need to make sure you keep your head and your momentum going. I’m feeling comfortable, but there’s still a long way to go.”

Van Gerwen’s route through the tournament has drawn comparisons to his title-winning run in Amsterdam earlier this year, though he wasn’t getting carried away. “Maybe, maybe. It would be nice,” he smiled. “But as I just said, it’s still a long way to go. Tomorrow’s going to be a really important day for me — I think for everyone in the quarter-finals. But I’m feeling good, and I need to make sure I show it again tomorrow.”

Looking ahead to next season, Van Gerwen will be defending a large amount of ranking money — but typically, he wasn’t showing any signs of stress. “Just make sure you win the World Championship — everything’s fine,” he laughed. “Thank you very much!”

With the PDC World Championship prize fund increasing to £1 million for the winner, Van Gerwen was asked whether that had influenced his decision to skip the Players Championship Finals. He was quick to clarify the situation. “I didn’t pull out of the Players Championship Finals,” he stated. “There’s a lot of factors — it’s not just one thing. It’s probably also the way I’ve been playing on the Pro Tour; I didn’t really want to be there. Of course, my personal situation too — there’s a lot of factors that made this happen.

“Of course, I want to be there, everyone knows that. But I’ve got things planned now and I don’t want to put myself under unnecessary pressure when I don’t need to.

“It’s tough for me not being there, but there are a lot of other tournaments I need to make sure I’m ready for. That’s my goal at the moment — to do well here, at the Grand Slam, and of course at the World Championships. In between there’ll be a few exhibitions, but my eye has to be on the Worlds. Simple as that.”

It’s been nearly three years since Van Gerwen last lifted a ranking major, but the Dutchman wasn’t putting too much weight on that statistic. “It’s been three years since lifting a ranking major? What was that, two or three weeks ago then?” he joked.

“I can remember back in the day Jonny Clayton won every non-ranked TV tournament! So I don’t really look at things like that. I think every tournament should be ranked — especially a tournament like this. If you look at golf, the Masters is ranked as well, so why shouldn’t other tournaments and darts be ranked too?”

With much of the media attention focused on Luke Littler and Luke Humphries potentially battling for the world number one spot, Van Gerwen was asked whether he felt he was flying under the radar this week. His response was typically confident. “No — but people can talk about me being under the radar,” he said. “They all know I’m still capable of doing anything when I’m there. When I turn up, they know they’ve got problems. But I need to turn up a little bit more often — that’s the only thing.”

Van Gerwen’s finishing was sharp throughout the match, taking out 93, 96 and 72 in crucial moments — though he admitted he hadn’t watched them back.

“You probably know that better than me — I didn’t look the game back!” he smiled. “Finishes like that are really important, especially in games like this. I wasn’t brilliant, but I think I was in control for most of the game. I was solid, and in games like this that’s really important.

“Overall, I think I did a good job. Of course, there’s more in the tank, but that’s something to worry about tomorrow. It’s always nice to start well because that gives you confidence. From there, you can build on it for the rest of the game. You just need to make sure you always believe in your own ability — and that’s what I’m doing. For the rest, I don’t really care.”

With a potential three matches awaiting him on the final day, Van Gerwen knows Sunday will test his stamina as well as his form — but insists he’s ready for it. “Of course, it’s tough,” he said. “I might be the most experienced one, but that doesn’t guarantee you anything. When you wake up in the morning, you still need to prepare yourself like it’s your last game. You always need to give 100 percent — that’s what I do, and I’ll never give up. I always give it 200 percent.”

And despite skipping the Players Championship Finals, Van Gerwen dismissed any talk of a long break affecting his sharpness ahead of the World Championship. “I only miss three days — that’s all,” he said. “I’ve got the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday off, and then Monday I have to travel back to London for the PDC media day and the launch. So I don’t have many days off, but when you get some, you need to take advantage of them.”