"Never see him smile anymore" - Fire has gone for Michael van Gerwen and he looks as if he'd rather be anywhere else says Richard Ashdown
PDC
He is still the number two ranked player in the world, yet Michael van Gerwen is winning far less than he used to. His last tournament win dates back to late January at the Dutch Darts Masters and for his last ranked TV major? All the the way back at the 2022 Players Championship Finals.
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A few years ago Van Gerwen dominated and won several majors every year, this year the tally still stands at zero. Even on the European Tour, where he was very successful in the past, he has not yet been able to win a tournament so far this year.
"He is the one player in recent weeks, that I just feel doesn't want to be there. At bit how we felt with Gerwyn Price in the Premier League, I feel like that with Michael van Gerwen now," says PDC spotter and former Master of Ceremonies at Lakeside, Richard Ashdown on Sky Sports' Love the Darts podcast. "I just feel like every time I see him on tour, he'd rather be anywhere else. It doesn't feel like he wants to and I've never had that feeling with him before."
"Yes, his brilliance was always part of it, but his energy and his desire was always so strong. For me, the fire is completely out at the moment," Ashdown continued, laying down some home truths. "I never see him smile anymore. The charisma that he was so famous for has gone for now. He looks like he has the world on his shoulders."
Van Gerwen already gets a chance to reverse the negative spiral this week. Together with Danny Noppert he will be in action at the World Cup of Darts. The Netherlands is the third seed in the group stage and will only play in the knockout stage. In the past, Van Gerwen has won this tournament three times.
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Kieran WoodDarts Journalist
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He contributes to DartsNews.com, where he covers professional darts through news, match reports, analysis, and live coverage across the PDC calendar and major tournaments.
A key part of his work is on-site reporting from leading events. Kieran has covered the PDC World Darts Championship in person, reporting daily from the venue and providing first-hand insight from the tournament. During his coverage, he has conducted interviews with leading players including Luke Littler, Luke Humphries, and Gerwyn Price.
He is also one of the leading voices of the English-language Dartsnews Podcast, contributing regular analysis and discussion on developments across the professional darts circuit.
In his reporting, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles when new, verified information becomes available.
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