"It felt embarrassing for me, I wanted to go home": James Wade deflated by Gerwyn Price whitewash and early Grand Slam exit

James Wade has candidly reflected on his disappointing Grand Slam of Darts performance in Wolverhampton in the aftermath of his disappointing season.

The 41-year-old, who impressed this season with finals at the UK Open and the World Matchplay, had to pack his bags after the group stage after defeats against Stefan Bellmont and Gerwyn Price.

Wade who struggles with bipolar disorder and ADHD, admitted in his column for the Daily Star that his mental state played a role at the Grand Slam of Darts. "Unfortunately, I wasn't at my best when I played Gezzy; in fact, it was the complete opposite. I played terribly," said Wade. "Everything felt wrong, and sometimes, unfortunately, my condition affects my performance. Recently, I've been coping well and strategising, but for whatever reason, I didn’t handle it well this time."

Wade lost handily to Price 5-0, and admitted the match was tough on him. "It felt embarrassing for me, and I worried it might be embarrassing for the crowd too, even though Price put on a professional display, winning 5-0. I wanted to go home, but there was still one game to play on Monday, and I was already out of the tournament."

That final group match, which he won over Ricky Evans, mainly gave him a chance to regain some of his confidence. "It felt strange to play without real motivation; however, I wanted to prove to myself that I was over the disappointing result from Sunday. After training hard, I ended up winning my final game 5-2 against Ricky Evans, and I felt a bit proud of that."

Afterwards, The Machine returned to his family, where he is trying to find peace. "Now, I'm back home with my kids and Samantha, and I have no desire to watch the darts. It’s not because I'm bitter; I just don't have any interest in it at all, especially seeing top players making money while I sulk at home."

Still, Wade remains ambitious toward the season's finale. The Englishman is already setting his sights on the Players Championship Finals in Minehead, followed by the World Championship at Alexandra Palace. "Fortunately, I won't have time to sulk. Next week, I'm off to Minehead for the Players Championship Final, a tournament I've won before. Last year, I reached the quarter-finals, and it's crucial for me to get a run going as I prepare for the World Championships."

The former UK Open champion knows that his performance at the World Darts Championship in recent years has left much to be desired, and wants to rectify that. "While I'm focused on the Players Championship, I'm already thinking about the World Championship and working on improving my game. It's been a really good year so far, but I want to do much better at Ally Pally. The past two years at the World Championship have been disappointing for me, so I’m determined to perform at a much higher level this time around."