"It's money on my rankings": Jonny Clayton says 'not my problem' on Dom Taylor doping test bye

Jonny Clayton admitted there was “obviously a smile on my face” when he received the phone call confirming he would be handed a bye into the third round of the 2026 PDC World Darts Championship following Dominic Taylor’s failed test – but insisted his focus remained firmly on doing his job once he finally returned to the Alexandra Palace stage.

The Welshman had faced an unusual 11-day wait between his opening-round win and his eventual third-round clash, a delay caused by Taylor’s absence, which automatically moved Clayton through without throwing a dart in round two. “I was shocked at the time,” Clayton explained. “But I got the phone call from Jason and he said that I could turn back home, so that’s what I did. It’s obviously money on the rankings. There’s a smile on my face, isn’t there? I’m in the third round.”

Clayton discovered the news while out shopping, admitting the timing of the call summed up how unexpected the situation was. “I was in Westfield shopping centre at the time,” he said post match. “It was the day before. We’d been shopping and then Jason (Thame, his manager) turned around and said, ‘Oh, you can go home.’ So I said, ‘Thank you very much.’ I was already down here, so I just turned around and went back.”

Despite the benefit to his ranking and progression, Clayton acknowledged the lengthy break came with its own challenges. “You’ve got to look at it in two different ways,” he said. “Obviously it’s a long break. Would I want to play the second game? Yeah, probably, just to keep in the tournament. But I’m not going to turn it away. It’s not my problem. So yeah, happy days.”

When asked about Taylor’s situation and the personal struggles surrounding it, Clayton was clear he wanted no part in speculation. “It’s not for me to say,” he said. “I don’t know what he’s going through, so my opinion counts for nothing. That’s down to Dom. It’s nothing to do with me, so I’m going to keep right out of that.”

Once back on stage, Clayton showed little sign of rust, edging out Niels Zonneveld in a gripping seven-set encounter to book his place in round four. “Obviously Niels is a great player,” Clayton said. “We all know he’s got a good future in the game. I had to do my job and I did it tonight. I kept the nerves quite calm and I got over the line in the end.”

The match saw Clayton repeatedly edged ahead, only for Zonneveld to respond, with the Welshman leading 1–0, 2–1 and 3–2 before being dragged back each time. “I don’t know what the difference was, to be honest,” Clayton admitted. “I was just concentrated. I think in the last set, Niels wasn’t quite as good as he was in the sets before. I don’t know if that was something to do with me, but I just took advantage in the last set.”

Statistically, it was an encouraging performance, with Clayton averaging over 98 and landing 47 per cent of his doubles – an area he has openly worked on. “That’s good darts and my doubles were good, thank God,” he said. “I was struggling with doubles for a long time, so yeah, great signs tonight.”

Clayton also highlighted the importance of winning the bull at the start of the match, allowing him to hold throw consistently. “I won the bull in the beginning and I kept my set,” he said. “That obviously helps. You win the bull, it’s your darts. So yeah, good day up there.”

The victory extended Clayton’s consistent record at the World Championship, where he has now reached at least the last 16 for five consecutive years – though he is keen to finally push beyond familiar territory. “Obviously I’d like to go all the way, same as every other player,” he said. “I’d like to go and lift that trophy, so that’s my aim. Who knows?”

During his extended break away from the venue, several high-profile seeds exited the tournament early, but Clayton insisted he keeps his distance from the drama.

“I don’t watch the game on TV,” he said. “I look at results, I look at FlashScore. I’d be a liar to say I’m gutted the top seeds have fallen, because I’m happy. I want to be there at the end. So far I’m doing my job and things are going good for me.”

The Welshman also revealed how practice during the downtime paid off, particularly on the outer ring.“After beating Adam Lipscombe, I said I was going home to practise my doubles,” Clayton said. “My doubles worked well tonight and that’s usually the strong part of my game. There’s a little glimpse of the old flair coming back. Hopefully that can carry on.”

Looking ahead, Clayton knows there will be no easy route, regardless of names or crowd allegiances, with Andreas Harrysson or Ricardo Pietreczko awaiting next. “In darts, one must win and one must lose,” he said. “If you don’t perform, you go home. Whoever it’s going to be, I’ve done my job.”

And while the draw may appear to be opening up, Clayton remains grounded. "We’re all here for a reason,” he said. “We’re winning matches. Whether it’s the last 16 or the final, we’ve all done our jobs. It’s going to be a tough one, whoever it is.”

For Clayton, belief is quietly building, fuelled by form, confidence and a renewed enjoyment of the game. “I’ve got a smile on my face again,” he said. “And I’m dangerous when that happens. So yeah – bring it on.”