“I’m welling up here”: Ricky Evans pays emotional tribute to his mum after statement first round win at 2026 PDC World Darts Championship

Ricky Evans had already done what he so often does on the Alexandra Palace stage by the time he sat down in the press room on Friday night. He entertained, he connected with the crowd, and he found enough quality at the right moments to come through his opening match once again. What made this night different was what came afterwards.

Evans beat Man Lok Leung 3-0 to book his place in the second round of the 2026 PDC World Darts Championship, but it was his reaction after the match that defined the evening. Asked about having his mum in the crowd for the first time, the usually jokey Evans slowed down, paused, and let the emotion show.

“It was amazing, mate. Honestly,” he said to Dartsnews.com and the other outlets present. “I’m welling up now. It was lovely to see her.”

That moment set the tone for a long, wide ranging and very Evans press conference. There was humour, self awareness, honesty about his year, reflections on confidence and belief, and repeated references to the Ally Pally crowd that continues to take him to heart every December. But above all, there was gratitude.

On the oche, Evans delivered a performance that matched the occasion. After bringing the festive energy on his walk on, he immediately settled into his work, exploding out of the blocks against Lok Leung.

The highlight of the opening set was a superb 134 checkout, part of a start that saw Evans average over a ton as he wrapped up the first set in style. He threatened to add even more to the highlight reel, with 137, 126 and 121 all on offer at various points, and he repeatedly found a way out of legs when it mattered.

“I thought the first two sets I was very, very good,” Evans said. “I don’t know what the stats were. I literally walked off and I had a little bit of swagger.”

That swagger mattered. Lok Leung did not disappear, and the match tightened after the opening set. In the second, the Hong Kong qualifier missed a set dart at tops that would have levelled the contest, and Evans made him pay to double his advantage.

The third set followed a similar pattern. Lok Leung produced an 11 darter to fight back from 2-0 down in the set, but Evans refused to let the match drift. An 84 checkout in two darts sealed the win and another successful opening night at Ally Pally.

“I won them. That’s the main thing for me,” Evans said. “Then I think I got a little bit complacent, but yeah, I got three sets and I’m happy.”

Evans’ relationship with the Ally Pally crowd is now one of the defining features of his World Championship story. Once again, his walk on set the tone, and once again he leaned into the festive chaos that surrounds the opening rounds.

“I say every year I’m walking on to Shakin Stevens,” he said. “Can we get Shakin Stevens here? He’s still going, bless him. He must be about 80. Get Shakin Stevens in, you’ll get some views.”

It was a classic Evans moment, but the point behind it was serious. He knows exactly what the walk on does for him, and he sees it as part of his competitive edge.

“It’s Christmas, isn’t it?” he said. “Get the crowd on your side.”

That crowd support is something Evans talks about with genuine affection, not entitlement. He is acutely aware of where he sits in the sport, and how unusual it is for a player in his position to generate that level of backing.

“They seem to love me,” he said. “I could have lost that 3-0 and still walked off with a smile because the crowd just seem to love me.”

Later, when asked about the “Walking in an Evans Wonderland” chants, he returned to the same theme.

“I’m world number 40. I’ve never won a darts tournament,” he said. “It makes you feel proud. There are so many good darts players, probably better than me, who don’t get that.”

For Evans, that support is not just a nice extra. He believes it feeds directly into his performance.

“It gives you drive,” he said. “I love it. Keep going.”

The most revealing part of the press conference came when the focus shifted away from darts entirely.

Evans had spoken before the tournament about having his mum at the World Championship for the first time, and the reality of it clearly hit him during and after the match.

“It was amazing,” he said again. “Honestly. We’ve all got mums and dads. I’m still on good terms with both of mine, and I’m welling up now.”

He admitted she may not have fully understood everything that happened on stage, but that did not diminish the moment.

“She probably won’t even know what happened in the match,” he said. “But it’s so nice to win in front of her.”

In typical Evans fashion, the emotion was quickly followed by humour.

“I’m hoping my mum stays at home and wraps my presents now,” he joked.

But the underlying message was clear, and he made it explicit before moving on.

“My dad’s my hero,” he said. “My mum’s the best person in the world.”

That sense of perspective carried through the rest of his answers. Evans spoke about the pressure of the night, the goosebumps during the walk on, and how his mindset changed once he stepped onto the stage.

“Walking on stage, I had goosebumps,” he said. “I normally give it to the crowd, but this time I just stopped and thought, win, play darts, win that first set.”

He felt that focus gave him something extra.

“I had a little bit more fight,” he said. “Not angry, just focused. Maybe I should do that every time.”

Evans has always been open about the contradictions in his game, and he did not hide from them here. Asked about his ranking and what he needs to improve, he delivered a typically honest assessment.

“I’m better than 40 in my opinion,” he said. “There aren’t 39 darts players better than me.”

Then came the familiar caveat.

“Head wise, maybe 59,” he added.

That balance between belief and doubt is something Evans returned to several times. He acknowledged his inconsistency on the floor and the need to trust himself more regularly.

“I could beat anyone in the world and lose to anyone on tour,” he said. “Literally, and it wouldn’t shock anyone.”

He sees that as the biggest barrier to climbing the rankings.

“I don’t do it as consistently and I don’t believe in myself as much as I should,” he said.

At the same time, he was clear that longevity matters to him, and that he still sees a long future in the sport.

“It’s my 11th year and I’ll still be here in 20 years,” he said.

Evans will now face either James Wade or Ryusei Azemoto in the second round, and he welcomed the chance to sit in the tournament for a while rather than immediately being back on stage.

“I quite like playing early,” he said. “It gives you a little bit of, I can watch a tournament now.”

He admitted he does not always enjoy watching darts, but being part of the field changes that.

“I hate darts watching it,” he said. “But I’m still in the tournament so I can watch it now.”

He plans to keep things simple in the days leading up to his next match, including playing local league darts and trying to enjoy the Christmas period.

“I’ve got about ten days,” he said. “I’ll enjoy myself. Do some Christmas shopping.”

As ever, Evans was realistic about his World Championship history. He knows how often his runs have ended shortly after Christmas, and he was not afraid to joke about it again.

“I say every year, get past Christmas, and then I always lose after Christmas,” he said.

When asked why, he laughed.

“The Christmas effect goes, doesn’t it?” he said. “I wish I knew.”

Even so, he made it clear he does not want the experience to end any time soon.

“I don’t want it to end,” he said. “I get on stage and I’m alright.”

For now, that is enough. Evans delivered another opening night win, gave the crowd what they wanted, and walked away having shared something more personal than usual.

“I’m over the moon,” he said.

At Ally Pally, sometimes that matters just as much as the scoreline.