Martijn Kleermaker doubts continuation of darts career due to home situation: ''If I do something, I want to do it with full commitment''

Martijn Kleermaker is in serious doubt whether to continue his darts career next year or take a temporary break. Problems in private life are forcing 'The Dutch Giant' to make an important choice.

In late 2022, the relationship with the mother of his two sons broke down. It caused Kleermaker to have a difficult year privately. ''The difficult thing is of course that there are children involved. You try to take care of that,'' he said in a candid interview with podcast Double Top. ''You make an arrangement (with the children's mother, ed.) and you try to put that down well but I did find out this year that it was terribly difficult. I did have a lot of trouble with how certain things go sometimes.''

The situation is leading Kleermaker to think about putting his career ''on hold.'' ''I am now very much consulting with people around me. Last week I already told a lot of people that I'm really quitting, I was done with it. I had another frustration bomb in my head and it just doesn't benefit my game. Certainly not with the current level (at the PDC, ed.). There the level is just so high, you have to be one hundred percent physically and mentally and I just can't manage that this year. If I do something, I want to do it with full dedication.''

At the end of November the Harderwijker will play the qualifying tournament for the World Darts Championship. After that he wants to make the final decision. ''If time will show that I can't do this for the time being then you have to draw a conclusion. If the conclusion then is that maybe I should take a step back temporarily to give my children some peace and quiet, then I will be the first to do so. Sometimes you have to park your own dreams for the important things in the world and for me those are my children at all times,'' Kleermaker said.