"My son's mother and I broke up" – Kevin Doets reveals off-board issues mean darts has taken back seat

Kevin Doets produced one of the most dramatic victories of his career on the opening night of the 2025 World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam, edging out compatriot Jermain Wattimena 6–5 in a nervy all-Dutch encounter.

‘Hawkeye’ trailed for much of the contest and never truly felt in control, but after Wattimena squandered four match darts in the decider, Doets stepped in to hit double 15 and spark jubilant celebrations in front of a home crowd.

“It was very tough,” Doets admitted afterwards. “When I threw the first nine darts, I could feel the wind. We both had to deal with it, so I never complain about it, but it was in my head at the start and things didn’t go so well. Then suddenly I was hitting everything, then nothing again. At 5–3 and 5–4 he played two really good legs and I never had the feeling that I was going to win. Then he missed darts for the match and I took it out – I don’t get it.”

That finale included a tantalising glimpse of brilliance as Doets briefly threatened a match-saving 170 checkout before narrowly missing the second treble. “When I hit the first treble, I thought, this is the moment to do something fun. But then I missed the second. He was on double 16, and I never thought he was going to miss. But he did.”

For Doets, playing in front of a home Dutch crowd was a rare and welcome opportunity, even if it came against one of his countrymen. “Very nice,” he smiled. “Even though I was playing against a Dutchman, I felt like the audience were singing my name. That was my feeling.”

The result sets up a Saturday night clash with world number one Luke Humphries, a daunting task that Doets addressed with humour. “At least I know I have to play well. Six–nil!” he joked, before turning to a more serious assessment of his season.

Despite flashes of quality, Doets was candid about his dissatisfaction with 2025 to date. “Yes, I’m dissatisfied for sure. On the other hand, I’ve already made it to the quarter-finals. But when you look at my World Championship last year and the whole of last season, I feel like I need to win a title. It’s coming. But this year I’m a bit disappointed with how it’s gone.”

When asked to explain the drop-off, Doets revealed that personal circumstances have had a major impact. “I haven’t been training at home much. My son’s mother and I broke up last December, and I just haven’t had the time to practise. When I’m here, I’m here. When I’m in Germany, I’m with my son. And I don’t have time to train. But now he’s started school, and from next week I’ll finally have more time to practise. That’s my explanation for not being at my best.”

The Dutchman has chosen to remain based in Sweden, where his son lives and goes to school. “Of course. My son lives in Sweden. My son goes to school in Sweden. My son is Swedish. So I’ll stay in Sweden,” he said firmly.

While Doets admitted that the adjustment was tough at first, he believes the situation has now stabilised. “In the beginning, yes, it was difficult. But now it’s going well.”

Despite downplaying his chances against Humphries, Doets is optimistic that with more practice time he can rediscover the form that pushed him into the top 40 in the world. “This match wasn’t good – it was a really bad game – but over the last few months I haven’t thrown badly. I just didn’t win the matches I wanted to win. I picked up a few here and there, and I’m still in the top 40. I know I can do much better, and when I get proper training time again, it’s going to improve.”

Asked about his expectations for the rest of the year, Doets insisted he prefers not to look too far ahead. “I don’t really think about the future – I live week by week. What I do tomorrow, I do tomorrow. What I do the day after, I do the day after. But now that I have more time to train, I will start thinking about the future. And I do have the feeling that the World Championship is going to be as spectacular as last year. That’s what I hope, and what I expect.”