"I’m quite laid-back, things like the money going up don’t really affect me": Ryan Searle not fussed by record PDC World Darts Championship prize money

Ryan Searle produced a commanding straight-sets victory at the 2026 PDC World Darts Championship, admitting he was pleased to be “pretty ruthless” as he put his opponent under constant pressure on the Alexandra Palace stage.

Searle never allowed the match to develop into a contest, capitalising on missed doubles and key moments to seal the win efficiently. “Before the match started, I was thinking just finish well and put him under pressure,” Searle said post match including to DartsNews. “He missed a few doubles here and there and I was pretty ruthless. He missed three darts to make it 2–2 in the last set and sort of basically gave me the win, and I was happy with that. I would have had to throw the last leg and I was feeling confident anyway, but to get the win a leg earlier was nice.”

The statistics backed up the performance, with Searle averaging over 98 and landing 64 per cent of his doubles — figures he was happy with, even if he felt there was still more to come. “The way I was practising backstage, I thought I was going to play a lot better than that, to be honest,” he admitted. “Scoring backstage is unbelievable and picking my doubles, but it’s easy to do it when there’s no pressure and no cameras. It takes a lot more to do it on stage, so I’ll take that for sure.”

The win moves Searle beyond the opening hurdle and gives him a chance to finally break his run of third-round exits at Alexandra Palace, with either Martin Schindler or Keane Barry awaiting him after Christmas. “I hope so,” Searle said. “I’ve played Martin a few times and he beat me in the final in Switzerland on the Euro Tour last season. It’s a game I kind of threw away, so if he wins I’m looking for revenge. Keane Barry’s a good player as well — you can’t overlook him.

“Whatever happens, I’ll be up for a game after Christmas. I’ll be driving straight home now and looking forward to Christmas.”

While many players have spoken about nerves in the opening rounds, Searle appeared calm and settled from the outset, something he feels comes from applying early pressure. “It’s kind of frustrating because I feel like the more that comes back at me, the more I react to it,” he explained. “In my first-round game there wasn’t a huge amount coming back from Chris Landman — he can play a lot better than he did.

“Obviously Brendan Dolan can play a lot better than that as well, but I feel like I was putting him under so much pressure straight away that it was probably hard for him to settle into the game. If you can put people under pressure like that and hold them back from their full potential, that’s the aim from the start.”

The victory also secures Searle a valuable Christmas break, something he is keen to make the most of before returning refreshed. “My partner Sophie’s driving home tonight, so we’ll hopefully be home by six or seven o’clock,” he said. “We’ll chill out. It potentially means I’ll be playing on the 27th because I’m early on in the draw, but we’ll see how it goes.”

Christmas at home will be a family affair, with darts never far from reach. “Sophie’s parents come round and both my grandparents come round — I’m fortunate enough to still have both my grandparents,” Searle said. “I’ll be throwing some darts on Christmas for sure. Sophie’s dad might try and get me on the board.”

Preparation has already been stepped up, with Searle revealing a recent intensive practice session with Damon Heta and a decision to switch darts earlier than usual. “I had Damon Heta round this week and we had a good five-hour session on the board,” he explained. “That blew the cobwebs out a bit because I can get a little bit lazy sometimes.

“That’s why I’ve switched darts. I’m using my new darts now and they seem to be going well. I won two ProTours this year for the first time, but I felt like I was getting a bit lazy, so I switched earlier than I normally would just to get me focused again. It seems to be working.”

Despite Brendan Dolan’s difficult season, Searle insisted there was no underestimation of his opponent. “A couple of seasons ago he beat Gary Anderson and Gerwyn Price when people were talking about either of those playing Luke Littler in the final,” he said. “You can never underestimate Brendan. He’s a fantastic player and one of the nicest people you’ll meet.”

That renewed focus will continue through the festive period, even if it means sneaking away from family time. “I’ll always try and practise on Christmas Day,” Searle said. “It gets me away from social situations, which I’m not massive on. I hide away in the practice room and it gives me an excuse to practise. I feel like the way I’m playing, I can do some damage in this tournament. If the draw opens up, we’ll see where we go.”

Any practice, however, will come after presents. “Presents first,” he laughed. “I can’t practise at seven in the morning — my daughter wakes up so early. Maybe just before dinner or just after.”

Searle confirmed his new darts will remain in play for the foreseeable future. “I’ll use these until the end of next season, or until we see what new darts Harrows bring out,” he said. “I’m not overly fussy. As long as they’re the right weight and not too grippy, I’m pretty easy.”

Looking ahead to a potential clash with Schindler, the motivation is clear. “If he wins, I’m looking for revenge after Switzerland where I missed six or seven match darts,” Searle said. “Confidence-wise I’m feeling good. If that’s who I’m playing, I’m looking forward to it.”

On the wider topic of pressure and mental health in the modern game, Searle acknowledged the conversation but admitted his laid-back nature helps shield him. “Because I’m quite laid-back, things like the money going up don’t really affect me,” he said. “Darts is so popular now and with Luke Littler there are so many young eyes on the game — you can’t get away with things.

“From a PDPA point of view, it’s something we can maybe look at to help players, but as far as I’m concerned, I just get on with it.”