Jeffrey de Zwaan on tough period: "The past few years have scarred me"

The 27-year-old Jeffrey de Zwaan recorded excellent results in the 2018 and 2019 seasons, but lately struggled with an injury and private problems. In an interview with NU.NL, he talked about the past five years.

Jeffrey de Zwaan reached the semi-finals of the World Matchplay in 2018 and then impressed against Rob Cross at the World Darts Championship. Since then, however, the results deteriorated and he lost his Tour Card in 2022. De Zwaan managed to regain his Tour Card last year, but is currently only ranked 98 in the world rankings.

Over the past five years, several things happened that led to De Zwaan's depression. His relationship with his girlfriend Daphne, with whom he had been together for five and a half years, ended. De Zwaan also struggled with a severe shoulder injury and had to wear dentures due to losing his front teeth. "I couldn't focus well enough on darts the last few years because of those peripheral issues. Then your results deteriorate and a snowball of negativity starts rolling, which doesn't stop."

These problems made the Dutchman's life bleaker. "I didn't have the oomph to do fun things, was tired all the time. I also stopped seeing my psychologist because it didn't click with him. And in front of the dartboard things also went wrong. I used to stand up and hit the ball. But suddenly I didn't."

De Zwaan's poorer results sometimes led to fits of anger. "It caused frustration. After a defeat, the fuses would sometimes blow. Then I would smash my hand on a door. Or I would kick a bench, which would bother me for a long time. One day I thought: Jeff, you're really not doing well. Then I forced myself to find nice people and be more positive in life. That's how I got out of it."

After losing his Tour Card, De Zwaan immediately took it back in January 2023. He then impressed at the UK Open, where (with an average of 105.20) he beat Gerwyn Price and reached the last 16. However, tax assessments led to new problems. He had to pay back 50 thousand euros, which prevented him from living on his own. "I have to stay with my parents for the time being. That also had an impact on darts."

After a tough period, De Zwaan is looking positively ahead to the future. "I know I have the talent for it. Maybe I'm a diamond in the rough that needed some polishing. Hopefully those fringe things have done that now. I have a hunch that 2024 will be my year."