"It’s horrible when people go, “Oh, I want to draw him because he’s playing rubbish": Peter Wright refuses to throw in the towel despite current darting plight

For Peter Wright, it felt like a long but successful opening day at the UK Open in Minehead. The experienced Scot ended his day with a strong win over Cameron Menzies, showing that despite a difficult spell he can still shine on the big stage.

After his fourth-round match at the UK Open, Wright spoke candidly about his form, his mental reset, and the phase of his career he is currently in. One thing is clear for him: he wants to enjoy darts again.

According to Wright, the match against Menzies was a duel of constant pressure and heavy scoring. “When we looked at the averages, we weren’t sure who had played better than that,” Wright said afterwards including to DartsNews.com. “We were just hitting each other with steady scores, loads of 180s and stuff like that. Every time I hit a 180, I followed it, which was a bonus. It was nice to see that I can still do it.”

The past two seasons, however, were anything but smooth for Wright. The former world champion endured a run of disappointing results and slipped down the rankings. “Obviously the performances in the past two years have been disappointing,” he admitted.

Lately, though, he has changed his perspective. Instead of obsessing over averages and results, he now looks more at what he has already achieved. “I used to worry about the averages and winning and stuff like that. But I’ve just started to reason: what other players behind me have won 49 titles, been a two-time world champion, European champion, Matchplay champion and everything else?”

That new mentality also helps him move past poor performances more quickly. “When I hit that 70 average last week or the week before, I just struck that off and went, ‘Crap happens.’ And just get on with it, because you’re not going to play like that again next time you play.”

During that rough patch, Wright even briefly considered ending his career. “Yeah, I did for a little while,” he admitted.

But he ultimately realised darts means far more to him than just results. “I like going to the darts. I like seeing my friends and just having a banter and being part of darts that you’ve been all your life. That’s just the way I am.”

With that new mindset, Wright has become more relaxed about his chances in tournaments. “If I play rubbish that day, I’ll play rubbish that day. But I know I can upset the big names, possibly. It doesn’t mean I’m going to go and win the tournament, but I can put a big name out if I turn up.”

Although Wright already has an impressive trophy haul, he still has targets in mind. “Yes, I want to get to 50. That would be nice before I retire.”

But privately, the bar is even higher. “If I can get to 55 titles before I retire, I’ll be happy.”

During his lean spell, Wright noticed how quickly perceptions in sport can change. Players who once preferred to avoid him now sometimes hope to draw him. “It’s horrible when people go, ‘Oh, I want to draw him because he’s playing rubbish.’”

He compared his situation with Glen Durrant, the former Premier League Darts champion who also endured a difficult spell. “I used to watch him coming into the floor tournaments and think, I hope I don’t go through that. I’m going through it, I admit it. And it’s horrible when people go, “Oh, I want to draw him because he’s playing rubbish.” That’s hard."

Still, Wright remains an inspiration for many players, particularly in Scotland. After their match, Menzies even described himself as a fan.

The moment became more meaningful when Wright realised Menzies’ father was in attendance. “I didn’t know his dad was here. I used to play darts with his dad up in Ayrshire in the same team. He’s had a heart attack and he’s recovering really well, so it was good to see him and his wife.”

Wright hopes he can still inspire young Scottish players. “But Gary’s already flying the flag for Scotland anyway — he’s a monster,” he said, referring to Gary Anderson.

Wright has long been known for his flamboyant image, but he admits age is starting to change things. “I’m not dancing across the stage as much because I’m old. Next week I’m 56 and I’m still playing darts,” he laughed.

He even joked about how the famous “Snakebite” persona might evolve. “I might come on with a Zimmer frame!”

Despite everything, his love for the sport remains strong. “I still love playing darts. I love the professional dart players around me as well. They’re all nice to me.”

Despite his age, Wright is not thinking about retirement anytime soon. “It’s down to the boss, she wanted me to retire five years ago,” he joked. “But I’m still here.”

There is also a practical reason. “I haven’t earned enough money to retire yet, so I need to pull my socks up.”

Interestingly, Wright now practises more than ever. “I actually practise more now than I’ve ever done because I’m enjoying it. I practise every single day.”

Of course, his habit of tinkering with equipment remains. “I unpacked the car after a five-and-a-half-hour drive, set the darts up and went 60, 180, 180. Then I just threw them in the drawer and said, ‘I’m not even using them darts.’ That’s just how my head works!”

With his new relaxed mindset, Wright is taking the rest of the season one match at a time. "I’m just taking each game as it comes and enjoying it.”