Max Hopp makes German darts history with emotional World Championship milestone: “It means the world to me”

Hopp has now spoken at length to BILD about the historic milestone and the long road back. The former German PDC trailblazer made clear to the newspaper what his tenth World Championship appearance means to him: “It means the world to me. Already last year I mapped out the dream of playing my tenth Worlds at 30. To actually make it happen now is almost beyond words.”

The timing could hardly be better for Hopp. In August, the former German Darts Open champion celebrated his 30th birthday, and a few months later comes the next milestone on the sport’s biggest stage. Hopp has already played nine times at Alexandra Palace – his tenth start sets a new German benchmark.

“No German has played ten World Championships. I’m not saying this to big myself up, it’s simply a fact. And it’s a fact I’m incredibly proud of,” Hopp told BILD.

The “Maximiser” also spoke out on Instagram, sharing his delight at another trip to London with his followers. “This World Championship appearance means a lot to me!” wrote Hopp. Competing under the German flag for the tenth time is “another important milestone” for him.

The 30-year-old did not focus solely on himself. Hopp also pointed out that seven other German players have currently qualified for the World Championship. He is “proud” and “can’t wait for the new Ally Pally,” he wrote, looking ahead to the showpiece.

That Hopp has already secured his tenth World Championship start is the payoff for a consistently strong season. This is clearest in the Pro Tour ranking in the current qualification race for Alexandra Palace. The “Maximiser” sits a strong 11th. With 40 World Championship tickets allocated via this list, Hopp can lock in his trip to London.

His Players Championship record also underlines the consistency Hopp is bringing to the oche in 2026. From 26 events he reached at least the second round 19 times. Only seven tournaments ended after his opening match. In total, Hopp has already banked £52,750 in prize money this year.

His own assessment is accordingly positive. “I’m playing one of the strongest seasons I’ve ever played,” said Hopp.

After losing his Tour Card at the end of 2022, Hopp endured difficult years away from the main PDC stage. Attempts to fight back via the Challenge Tour did not bring the hoped-for results – even in the “second tier” of the PDC system, the former German top player initially struggled to make a sustained impact.

All the more remarkable, then, was the comeback he produced at Q-School 2025: to many people’s surprise, Hopp regained his Tour Card and returned to the PDC professional ranks. Since then, the “Maximiser” has emphatically shown his return is far more than a brief flicker. With sustained consistency on the PDC floor, Hopp has re-established himself on the Pro Tour and is well on the way to reclaiming a long-term place among the tour’s established forces.

“First and foremost I’m damn proud of myself for freeing my mind. The outside criticism had affected me too negatively. I decided that, above all, I want to deliver good performances again. That’s the foundation for everything that follows. It’s what you’re measured by,” Hopp explained.

His comeback was also a personal mission. “I wanted to prove to myself that it’s worth fighting, sticking at it, and believing in yourself.”

That persistence now takes him to the Worlds stage for the tenth time. Long before the current German darts boom, Hopp was one of the sport’s defining faces in Germany. Now, at 30, his career gets another chapter – and on the oche, this record is certainly not intended to be the final word.

For all the joy over a historic tenth appearance, Hopp also links his Ally Pally return to a clear sporting target. In his previous nine World Championships, he has never gone beyond the third round. At the last Worlds his campaign ended after his second match.

Hopp now wants to attack that personal best on his anniversary appearance. After a strong season, the “Maximiser” heads to London with confidence and aims to produce his best game from the first dart, regardless of the draw.

“I’m going into the winter in a really positive frame of mind and I just want to go full throttle at the Worlds. No matter how the draw falls, I want to be on it from the start and give everything,” Hopp announced.

The now ten-time Worlds participant knows plenty has to click to deliver his best Ally Pally result. “It’s a long tournament and I hope that, on this anniversary, I finally get beyond the third round.”