INTERVIEW: World Championship dream almost a reality for Jules van Dongen: ''I don't dare hang out the flag yet myself''

Jules van Dongen has emerged as one of this season's revelations in recent months. After a disappointing first year on the Pro Tour, in which he won just £8750 in ranking prize money, 'The Dutch Dragon' may now dream aloud of a debut at the PDC's World Darts Championship.

Van Dongen's story is by now familiar to regular followers. He was born in 1990 in Meerssen, the Netherlands, but has now been living in the United States for several years. Together with his wife Lisa and their two children, Jules lives in the state of Missouri.

Until mid-2021, Van Dongen could throw his darts there in reasonable anonymity. But since making a few finals on the CDC Tour (circuit for North American darters) that year and then getting his PDC Tour Card in January 2022, the 33-year-old Dutch-American's life has revolved mostly around darts.

In December the ultimate reward seems to come with participation in the World Darts Championship in Alexandra Palace, but for congratulations Van Dongen thinks it is still a little too early. ''I don't dare hang out the flag yet myself,'' he says in an extensive interview with Dartsnieuws. ''I am 2500 pounds off now, but I dropped a few positions after the last Pro Tours. We'll see. I just have to focus on my own strengths and win two more matches.''

It is the dream of every (professional) dart player to eventually stand on the biggest stage in the world. Van Dongen himself also realizes that this dream can soon become reality. ''The last period I am really busy with the fact that I want to reach the World Darts Championship. I didn't have that at first. It was my goal, but then the goal seemed so far away. I was busy winning matches then. In my last matches, the focus was actually a little bit gone because I thought I was already there. That's just a shame. I could have secured it earlier.''

''If you play on the Pro Tour, of course you want to have been at the World Darts Championship. I've never been there either. I did experience Lakeside once (as a participant in 2022, ed.), but of course, that is not comparable. It is a dream for every player to play at Alexandra Palace, that is the only thing that counts for me now.''

About six months ago, Van Dongen did not even have to think about World Championship participation. He had had a difficult first year. Lost often in the first round and then sat lonely in his hotel room. The first year on the Pro Tour proved to be a learning year for Van Dongen, who stresses that he is only at the beginning of his darts career.

''For me, of course, it happened very quickly. In June 2021 I played my first tournament outside my local area and seven months later I had a PDC Tour Card. I came onto the Pro Tour with zero experience. That's very difficult in the beginning. Before I had my Tour Card, everything fell my way. I won everything here (in the United States) and then you go to the Pro Tour where you get knocked around from all sides for the first three months. That obviously does something to you and then it just becomes a difficult first year. You just notice that it takes time. You also see it with the top players of this moment. Dirk van Duijvenbode also lost his Tour Card twice before he became one of the best dart players in the world''.

At the end of spring, heading toward summer, things suddenly began to take off for Van Dongen. He scored a great victory over Gary Anderson and reached the last 32 of a Players Championship tournament. Jules returned home with a good feeling. ''I then (mid-July, ed.) went back to the United States and that weekend was the second weekend of the CDC Tour. My wife suggested we go there. For me, there really wasn't much left to do there. But should I lose my Tour Card, those points on the CDC ranking are important. So in that respect it was good to go.''

Van Dongen decided to travel to Chicago and immediately booked a tournament victory there. ''That helped me realize that I really can do it. When I went back to the Pro Tour after that, it was good right away.'' Van Dongen underlined that with his results. He reached the last sixteen three times at a Players Championship tournament and also reached the last sixteen at the German Darts Championship, one of the Euro Tour tournaments. ''The players look at me differently now,'' Van Dongen stated. ''I'm not the desired draw anymore, something I was for many players last year, of course.''

A decision by the PDC has worked out well, according to Van Dongen, in order to start and maintain the upward trend. Indeed, the PDC decided to increase the number of streambanks from two to four. This allowed fans and followers to follow more players on the stream lanes than before. ''Because of this, I have played a lot more matches myself on the stream,'' Van Dongen said. ''I now feel for myself that I play better on the stream, than on the regular boards. I have just a little more focus then and I feel much more comfortable.''

The good results in recent months also make Van Dongen feel better about getting on a plane. The distances he has to cover to get to the PDC tournaments are enormous. For example, the flight from U.S. Atlanta to England's Manchester already takes about nine hours, and then Van Dongen is not even at his destination yet.

The frequent traveling fell a lot harder on him when results were down. ''In the first year, I didn't really know anyone yet. You're just sitting in a hotel, just losing and then you ask yourself what you're doing there. People around me had advised me to see a sports psychologist, to see what I could do about it mentally. But I think it's very simple; the more you win, the more fun it becomes and the more confidence you gain. And the more often you lose, the less your confidence becomes. That's just the way it is. The only way to get out of it is to win. Then it's all just a little bit easier to sit on a plane for nine hours.''

What Van Dongen actually does during his flight? ''By now I've seen all the movies made available by the airlines I fly with. I now try to stay up very late the night before so that I am at least tired. Then I sleep half the flight.''

Should Van Dongen qualify for the World Darts Championship, the plan is to travel to Europe earlier to let his biological clock get used to the time difference in advance. ''The idea is to be there a week in advance. We'll see if we'll go to the Netherlands first and then to England, or if we'll go directly to England. I think for the big tournaments it's important to acclimate so you're more rested on stage.''

From Nov. 1 to 3, Van Dongen is expected back in Barnsley, England, for the final two Players Championship tournaments of the season there, where he will try to cash in on his good starting position for the World Darts Championship and qualify for the Grand Slam of Darts.

Should placement for the Grand Slam of Darts also succeed, then keeping his Tour Card also suddenly becomes a realistic option again. Although Van Dongen may then have to win some matches at Alexandra Palace. ''I have put the pressure on myself to make the World Darts Championship and I try not to look beyond that. If I make it to the World Darts Championship, the Players Championship Finals and possibly the Grand Slam of Darts, then obviously you're going to look at what you need to do to keep the Tour Card. The best thing is to just look at it match by match and win matches.''

And should that fail, we will see Van Dongen back at the Q-School in January 2024. ''I've said I want to go for it fully for five years. I will hold myself to that. At the end of those five years, I'm going to take stock. If I'm in good shape then or feel I've improved a lot, I'll just keep going.''