Michael van Gerwen celebrates daughter Zoë's birthday: "So proud of you, you’re doing well."
PDCSaturday, 08 August 2026 at 11:30
On Thursday, Michael van Gerwen was able to briefly set aside his sporting concerns. The 37-year-old darter celebrated his daughter Zoë’s ninth birthday and marked the occasion extensively on social media.
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Van Gerwen shared three photos on Instagram showing him together with his daughter. The three-time world champion also addressed the birthday girl with a few loving words. "So proud of you, you’re doing well. Happy birthday, I love you."
It was a personal moment in a year when things have been far less straightforward for Van Gerwen on the oche. He has spent years firmly among the elite at the top of the PDC Order of Merit. He was ranked in the world’s top four for thirteen straight years, but that impressive run came to an end in July.
Van Gerwen has since slipped to seventh place. That sets up a crucial stretch over the coming months. At the major ranking events, he must post results to avoid further ground lost. The World Championship, which starts in December, will also be of great importance.
Zoë often joins him at tournaments
In recent months, daughter Zoë has often watched her father up close. In July, for example, she joined him at the Euro Tour event in Leverkusen.
There she saw Van Gerwen beat Joe Cullen with an average over 100. After the match, Zoë was invited onto the stage, where she leapt into her father’s arms.
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Earlier this year she was also present at a Euro Tour. In March, Van Gerwen took his daughter to the event in Wieze. After his match, he said on stage that the idea had come from Zoë herself. “She said to me, ‘Daddy, I want to come to the darts with you.’ So I arranged it,” he said. “It’s always nice to have my daughter on my side. She’s my little girl, so it’s always good.”
Van Gerwen has never made a secret of how important his family is to him. His daughter’s birthday on Thursday therefore gave him the chance to shift the focus entirely away from his results on the oche.
Samuel GillChief Content Officer
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
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