Mike De Decker completely broke through this year by winning the World Grand Prix. On his way to the final of that tournament, he saw off top players like Gary Anderson and James Wade.
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In the final of that tournament, he then put the icing on the cake by winning 6-4 over world number one Luke Humphries. However, the 28-year-old Belgian does not want to rest on his laurels and is ready for a brilliant performance at the Grand Slam of Darts.
De Decker has now climbed to 25th in the world rankings due to his exploits. Moreover, at the Grand Slam of Darts, he has no prize money to defend from the two previous editions. 'The Real Deal,' who used to have a hard time performing on the big stages, has completely shaken off that stage fright and is ready for more success after his final victory at the World Grand Prix. Starting next weekend in Wolverhampton.
“I’m feeling more confident than ever before,” insisted De Decker, who also claimed a first PDC ProTour title back in August.
“Winning the World Grand Prix gave me the belief that I can perform on the big stage, so hopefully I can do the same during the Grand Slam. I believe if I can bring my floor game entirely into TV tournaments then I can be very dangerous.”
Mike De Decker hunts for his second major title of the year in Wolverhampton
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The Grand Slam of Darts traditionally begins with a group stage and De Decker has been placed in a group with also Michael Smith, Jermaine Wattimena and Mensur Suljovic. The top 2 of each group qualifies for the knockout phase of the tournament.
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“I think what makes the tournament so special is how open it is with the group stages,” continued De Decker, currently ranked 25th on the PDC Order of Merit.
“It’s such a short format with [games being] first to five legs, which means it’s easier for upsets to happen. There aren’t any easy draws anymore, and all the players in this tournament are very talented.
“I will have to be at my best to get through the group, but I’m looking forward to the challenge!”
De Decker begins his tournament on Saturday, Nov. 9, with a match against Wattimena. The other two group matches will follow in the following days.
🗣️ "I’m feeling more confident than ever before."
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) November 7, 2024
Mike De Decker is bidding to build on his sensational World Grand Prix success when he makes his Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts return in Wolverhampton this year.
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Samuel GillChief Content Officer
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
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- Good, absolutely no loss if we never see this dancing goof ever again......no that is not fair. He absolutely cannot and has never been remotely able to dance!richieburnettrocks10-11-2026
- Yes Phil,now the money in the game is bigger than ever,you'd play littler. Well so would I! Retire on your memory Phil,and your successful careerrick6709-11-2026
- And why should he listen to you?Deduce635807-11-2026
- Ultimately it is a bye for whoever draws Barney. It will be another stroppy and sulky performance once he goes behind. Barney was excellent but really must completely call it a day now.richieburnettrocks07-11-2026
- I'm disappointed he was not able to secure a spot at the Grand Slam. With Carl Sneyd taking care of Daryl Gurney, he would have had to beat Andy Boulton before facing the winner of Sneyd vs Mensur Suljović for a Grand Slam spot. Unfortunately, after beating Filip Bereza comfortably, he succumbed to Boulton, and the board would ultimately be won by the highly inconsistent Carl Sneyd. Since he could instead have been drawn against the likes of Cristo Reyes, Dirk van Duijvenbode and Stephen Bunting, I think once Gurney was out of the picture he would have been favourite to win his board, and it seems like a massive missed opportunity to put 5 grand on his ranking and seal another major TV appearance ahead of the Worlds. The highs and lows of following Raymond van Barneveld!Deduce635806-11-2026
- Probably i will receive a lot of backlash and hate for this reaction, but well, so be it. I am more than sick and tired of those lies of you Barry Hearn. How dare you defend yourself over the back of Fallon’s son! He has a disability and not an illness, so let me correct that for you! I know because I have the exact same disability. I have tried to reach out to Fallon in the past, and offered her to help her and her son, because I was struggling with the same problems, and I understood the boy. I wanted him to have finally someone who understood him. However she told me that she did not want my help, and I have respected Fallon’s choice. I have never asked Fallon for money. They don’t need money in that case. I only ever wanted the best for Fallon and Rory, but I have to be honest about the situation. Fallon should tell the true story and not be forced to tell lies. I don’t hate Fallon, and I don’t begrudge or envy a single penny that she gets, but this situation/case is just not fair. I hate the lies and the dishonesty and injustice. I don’t want Fallon to be hated because there is an unfair disadvantage created. Don’t proclaim your false lies over the back of Rory! I only stand for integrity and justice. I am precisely the one who always sticks up for Fallon. And you don't, you don't give a damn about them. You were never there for them, and now you only want to save your own position! You are just trying to talk your way out of your own bad behavior at the expense of someone with a disability. And to Fallon, I don’t know if this may ever reach you, and you read it, but I want you to know I love you and I love your son Rory very much, I am sorry how things developed and went. I hope you and Harriet are still friends. I am sorry if I were too persistent to you, or you experienced it that way, but it was never my intention. Please understand I have autism as well. As Barry Hearn would say, I am only just a human being too, and I also make mistakes and misjudge things sometimes. I promise you I did everything out of the deepest love and care for you and Rory. If I were you, I should just keep all the money, only please never be dishonest or tell lies anymore for Barry Hearn, or anyone else. I hope you have the best life, and I wish nothing more than the best for you. I have always loved the two of you. Farewell.Hiddo05-11-2026
- She is a professional. If darts is her income, she is a professional. Same as Adrian Lewis, Martin Adams. A tour card just means someone can play on the PDC tour. You could even make a case that Clayton wasn't a professional (until recently I believe) because he had employment elsewhere.BandB04-11-2026
- She's technically not a professional though as she doesn't hold a pro tour card.mr-pablo04-11-2026
- Such a shame that lakeside has been reduced to this. Fantastic venue,and previously a great tournament. Not any morerick6703-11-2026
- Seems to me that the top 16 players pick and choose whatever they want to play. Good,all the money will get spread out more. They get more money from exhibitions than tournaments so let them all withdrawrick6703-11-2026