"I've just been dealing with mourning" - Kevin Doets returning to his best form after personal troubles took its toll

Kevin Doets claimed a special victory on Friday evening at the European Championship in Dortmund. The Dutchman beat Michael van Gerwen 6-3, making a dream debut at the tournament. The win was especially meaningful for Doets, who had looked up to Van Gerwen for years as a young player. Speaking at his post-match press conference to DartsNews and other outlets, he discussed not only his victory but also his development as a player and the death of his father at the start of August. After a difficult period in his personal life, Doets said he is slowly getting back to his old level.

The win over Van Gerwen marked another milestone in the best season of Doets’ career. He claimed his first PDC ranking title this year and is increasingly showing that he can thrive on the big stage.

Even so, he had mixed feelings about his opponent before the match. For a long time, it looked as though Doets would face Rob Cross in the first round. But Niels Zonneveld’s victory at the Dutch Darts Championship changed the seedings, setting up a meeting with Van Gerwen instead.

“Of course it is. He's the best player ever in the Netherlands,” Doets said afterwards. “He and Raymond van Barneveld are pretty close to each other, but when the draw came out, I was down to play Rob Cross for a long time. Then, in the end, because Niels Zonneveld won, I was going to play Michael. There were mixed feelings about it, but to be able to beat him in this kind of way is amazing.”

Doets made a strong start against his compatriot. A 106 checkout gave him an important break, then a superb 132 finish via the bullseye extended his lead.

Van Gerwen was unable to erase the deficit. The three-time world champion pulled back to 5-3, but Doets closed out the match 6-3.

The Dutchman admitted that he had seen an opportunity before the match. Van Gerwen has been going through a difficult spell and has not shown his old dominance for some time.

Still, Doets was determined not to underestimate his compatriot. “Everyone says it hasn't been the best two years for him, but in my opinion, it's still Michael van Gerwen,” he stressed. “He's still won a tournament this year, he's won tournaments last year, and he's still averaged 110-plus, even 120-plus, this year.”

Doets said Van Gerwen remains the kind of opponent who can always produce something exceptional. “You never know with him, and I was prepared for that today. From the first leg, I felt like this was going to be my game.”

The victory meant more to Doets than just a sporting achievement. As a young player, he grew up watching the successes of Van Gerwen and Van Barneveld. Both were the leading Dutch figures in international darts for years and were a major source of inspiration for Doets.

At the press conference, he was asked whether facing Van Gerwen as a Dutchman was especially difficult because he had looked up to him for so long. "I thought about that today, to be honest," he said. “I thought, if I weren't Dutch, would I have felt the same? It's hard to answer that because I'm Dutch, but you might have a point there.”

Still, he understood the thinking behind the question. “He's someone I looked up to when I was 15 years old, and to be able to say that I beat him at a major 13 years later is just insane.”

Doets has made significant progress in recent years. A key moment in his career came at the World Darts Championship, where he faced Michael Smith.

Although he lost that match, he discovered he had more to offer on the big stage than he may have realised. “After that tournament, I felt like, wow, there's a lot in me, especially on stage,” he said.

At first, however, he did not fully fulfil that potential. "But I never really did anything about it. I never put in the practice hours that players need.”

That changed this year. Doets decided to take his preparation more seriously and spend more time at the practice board. “But since this year, I've put in those practice hours, and it's showing. It's been showing.”

That extra work has now brought him his first ranking title and several strong performances. Doets has also made strides mentally. In the past, his opponent’s reputation could sometimes affect him. Now he is better at playing his own game.

“I know he hasn't been in his best form, but whenever I play against him, I still see the Michael van Gerwen I looked up to. However, I've been getting better at playing my own game against anyone, so I try not to get intimidated by who I'm playing.” Against Van Gerwen, that approach worked perfectly. “I guess that worked today.”

Doets is optimistic about the future of Dutch darts. Although Van Gerwen has been less dominant in recent years, more and more compatriots are establishing themselves at the highest level.

Alongside Doets, Jermaine Wattimena, Wessel Nijman and Niels Zonneveld have also enjoyed notable success this season. Doets believes the growing Dutch presence is largely down to the generations who came before them. “I think Dutch darts is in a great place, and it's basically all thanks to Raymond and Michael.”

The two former world champions, he said, have played a major role in shaping today’s Dutch players. “We have a lot to thank them for. They're your idols, but eventually, if you want to be the best, you have to beat your idols."

Doets estimated that eight or nine Dutch players currently feature in the world’s top 32, although he did not know the exact number. He said that strong representation also fuels a special rivalry among them. “The rivalry between us is also very strong because, I don't know what it is about us Dutch players, but we really hate losing to each other. It's the worst thing ever.”

He stressed that he had learned a great deal from the successful players who came before him. “A lot of things I'm doing right now, I've learned from Michael, Raymond and everyone who came before me. You learn from the people who were there before you, so I have a lot to thank them for. But I'm also not going to show any mercy, because that's what they taught me.”

After his strong results this season, some even considered Doets the favourite ahead of his match against Van Gerwen. The Dutchman, however, found it difficult to give himself that status. “ To be honest, right now, even though I know Michael has had a couple of rough years, putting myself in the favourite's position against the greatest Dutch player ever feels a bit strange.”

Doets even wondered whether that assessment was entirely fair. “Maybe not even justified. But I've also played amazingly this year. I know that, and I've won my first title.”

Even so, facing Van Gerwen remains a special challenge for him. “Still, it's tough to play against a player like him.”

The most personal moment of the press conference came when Doets was asked about the contrast between his sporting success and the difficult circumstances in his private life.

The Dutchman’s father died on 3 August. The grief had a clear impact on his performances in the weeks that followed. “My father passed away on 3 August,” Doets said.

He recalled how difficult things were shortly afterwards at a European Tour event in Budapest. “If you look back at the first European Tour event I played in Budapest, I played awfully. My doubles weren't going, my trebles weren't going, I had no focus.”

Doets found it hard to keep his mind fully on darts during matches. “I just played awfully.” Things slowly improved over the following weeks, although he said he was still a long way from his usual level. “I started playing a little bit better, but still not great.”

Doets said he needed time to come to terms with the loss of his father. “I've just been dealing with mourning.” He now feels better able to separate his performances from his personal grief. “I think I've been able to separate the darts and the private side of things a bit better now.”

That does not mean the grief has gone away, but he is finding it easier to stay focused during matches. “It's been almost three months — two and a half months — and I think I'm coming back to the player I was before it happened.”