Be realistic: Kevin Doets not comparing himself with other in-form names - “Littler has won two World titles in a row, Nijman has won six ranking titles this year"

Kevin Doets continued the best spell of his career on Friday afternoon at the 2026 Austrian Darts Open, producing another impressive display to beat Chris Landman 6-3 in Graz before making a bold statement about where he believes his game can eventually take him.

Fresh from winning the first PDC ranking title of his career earlier this week at Players Championship 13 in Hildesheim, Doets averaged 99.35 against Landman and looked in control for long stretches of the match. The Dutchman raced into a 5-1 lead after a string of clinical legs helped him seize complete command, before eventually sealing victory with a 41 checkout on double 16.

Remarkably, Doets did not even feel he had produced his best level. “I felt a little bit like this wasn’t my best game, but to end up with a 99 average and a 6-3 win, happy days,” Doets told Dartsnews.com afterwards.

The result continued a surge in form that is quickly turning the 26-year-old into one of the most dangerous players outside the sport’s established elite. And after finally ticking off one major career target in Hildesheim, Doets admitted his ambitions are already growing. “Setting the goal of winning a title this year was a goal that I thought was very realistic, and I achieved that now,” he explained. “For me, another realistic goal is to get into the top 24. That’s the most realistic goal I have this year.”

But Doets did not stop there. “My other goals are, of course, to break into the top 16 and win a major. Everyone wants to win a major,” he said. “And the way that I’m playing now, and the way that I’m hopefully going to play for the rest of my life, I’m going to win a major.”

That confidence is increasingly being backed up by results. Doets’ Players Championship triumph earlier this week was no fortunate run. He opened with wins over Mervyn King and Darryl Pilgrim before whitewashing Kim Huybrechts 6-0.

His level then climbed even further in the latter stages of the event. Doets averaged 105.72 in a 6-3 victory over Jermaine Wattimena despite Wattimena himself averaging 107.83 in defeat. He followed that with a 107.19 average against Rob Owen before beating Maik Kuivenhoven 7-1 to reach the final.

Against Luke Woodhouse, Doets recovered from 4-2 down to win 8-5 and secure his maiden ranking crown, producing crucial 100, 105 and 128 finishes during the comeback. The speed with which he has carried that level into the European Tour in Graz only strengthens the feeling that this is no short-lived hot streak.

Doets believes one area in particular has transformed his results over recent months: doubling. “You said in the interview afterwards that you can outscore anybody in the world,” he was reminded after beating Landman. “When you do lose a match, it’s often on the doubles.”

The Dutchman agreed that finishing had long been the missing piece in his game. “I always have a practice rhythm that I do at home that’s mostly focused on doubles,” he explained. “At least the first half-hour or hour is mostly focused on doubles. That helps me and it has helped me a lot over the last few months. That’s one of the main reasons I’m doing so well right now, because my doubles are just a lot better than they were before.”

That improved composure showed again against Landman. Although Doets admitted he briefly lost focus after opening up a commanding lead, he still found another gear when the match threatened to tighten. “When I was 5-1 up, I had two legs where I played a bit less. I guess maybe I lost some focus,” he reflected. “But then in the last leg at 5-3, I was on 41 after nine darts, I think. That also shows what I’m able to do when I need to do it. I’m just in a really good place and I’m happy with my performance today.”

Doets’ rise has naturally led to comparisons with some of the game’s other in-form players, particularly fellow Dutchman Wessel Nijman and world number one Luke Littler.

But while confident in his own trajectory, Doets insisted he is not yet ready to place himself in that category. “No, I don’t. Not as big as those guys,” he said when asked if he considered himself among the most in-form players in the world right now. “First of all, Luke Littler has won two World Championships in a row and he’s number one in the world. Wessel Nijman has won six ranking titles this year. So I’m doing well, but I’m not close to them yet. I appreciate it and I think it’s an honour to be called in the same group as them, but I’m not there yet. I’m working my way up.”

Doets also pointed to greater stability away from the oche as a major factor behind his improvement. “My life has been pretty stable lately,” he explained. “I know where I’m going to play, I know when I’m going to play, I know when I’m going to be home and I know when I can practise, how I can practise and what I can practise.”

“My life has been pretty stable lately and that’s a big part of becoming what you can be,” he continued. “My practice routine has been great lately and that’s a big part of where I am.”

Away from the darts itself, Doets also revealed he is currently experimenting with a new walk-on song after feeling his previous choice never fully suited him. “This has been in the talks with me, my family and my girlfriend for a couple of months already,” he explained. “We chose this one this weekend and we’ll see how the crowd reacts to it. If they react well, we’re going to continue with it. If they don’t, we’re going to look for another one.”

The Dutchman was also asked about the fierce competition for places in the Netherlands’ World Cup of Darts team, but insisted he is not frustrated by how difficult it currently is to break into the top two. “As a Dutchman you know how hard it is to get there,” Doets said. “If it happens, it happens. I would be glad to play it, but it doesn’t frustrate me that I can’t play it because it’s really hard to get there as a Dutchman.”

Doets even revealed his first ranking title had effectively become his birthday celebration this week, with his parents present for the breakthrough moment in Hildesheim. “I didn’t really celebrate my birthday,” he said with a smile. “But getting my title was enough of a celebration for me, especially with my parents being there, who are never there. It was a special moment. It’s been a good week. Very, very good mood right now.”

After another near-100 average display in Graz, the growing sense around Doets is that the breakthrough week in Hildesheim may only have been the beginning.