“It was an awful watch” – Wayne Mardle fears World Championship collapse could haunt Peter Wright

Wayne Mardle has warned that Peter Wright’s shock PDC World Darts Championship defeat could carry consequences far beyond a single result, admitting the performance left him deeply uncomfortable and fearing the psychological toll it may take on one of darts’ most decorated champions.

Speaking on Sky Sports, Mardle described Wright’s Alexandra Palace showing as “an awful watch”, not from the perspective of a pundit analysing form, but as a former professional who understands exactly how damaging a public collapse on darts’ biggest stage can be.

“I know Merk won, but the story is about Peter Wright, unfortunately,” Mardle said on Sky Sports.

“And I’ve got to say, from a friend’s point of view, it was an awful watch. Watching an absolute champion, a legend of our sport, someone who’s helped the sport grow play like that. I didn’t enjoy it one bit.”

Mardle stressed that poor performances are part of every career, but warned that struggles at the World Championship cut far deeper than defeats elsewhere on the calendar.

“It’s so weird,” he said. “If you play like that elsewhere, it’s okay. You don’t really think about it. It’s one of those. But when you do it in the World Championship, and I know this because I’ve done it, you end up questioning whether you’re good enough ever again to compete. And it’s about competing. It’s about winning.”

That insight sits at the heart of Mardle’s concern. Wright’s loss was not simply about averages or legs won, but about the self doubt that can creep in when struggles unfold under the sport’s brightest lights.

“I don’t know what kind of questions Peter is asking himself, whether it’s like, it’s fine. I’ll carry on. I love the game. And I hope that happens, by the way,” Mardle added.

Mardle was also keen to caution Wright against reacting emotionally in the immediate aftermath, urging patience rather than drastic decisions.

“I don’t want him to because he’s always said that I don’t want to retire, I just don’t want to retire, I love it,” he said. “And I don’t want him to have this knee-jerk reaction because it’s happened at the World Championships.”

The Sky Sports pundit returned repeatedly to the theme of sleepless nights, highlighting how moments like this tend to linger in a player’s mind.

“He’s a winner. He’s an absolute winner. I just hope he’s okay because that is one of those where you will think about that. That sleepless night stuff.”

Wright entered the tournament having already slipped down the seedings compared to recent seasons, and the early exit has only sharpened questions about how he regains confidence after such a public setback.

Mardle, however, was clear that Wright’s legacy should not be forgotten amid the immediate disappointment. “He’s been such a classy ambassador for darts as well, brings that fun, but also brings that amazing ability and that touch of class,” he said. “I hope he’s okay.”

Rather than framing the defeat as the end of something, Mardle’s comments read as a warning about the mental scars the World Championship can leave behind. Whether Wright responds with renewed resolve or finds himself wrestling with deeper doubts may prove to be one of the defining storylines of his season ahead.