"People are treating it like it’s cancer, I’m fine I’m going to get over it": Scott Williams produces defiant statement amid dartitis clips

Scott Williams delivered exactly what he promised on the Alexandra Palace stage as he booked his place in the second round of the 2026 PDC World Darts Championship, producing both fireworks and resilience in a hard-fought win over Paolo Nebrida.

Williams sealed the victory in style with a memorable double-double finish, but despite how it may have appeared from the crowd, the self-styled showman admitted the contest was far tougher than it looked at the Alexandra Palace. “Yeah, to be fair, that was tougher than it looked on the stage, if I’m honest with you,” Williams said post match. “I kind of knew that his speed wasn’t going to be something I was going to appreciate, so I had to do something somewhere just to get myself back in the game.”

That need to disrupt the rhythm of the match was evident early on, with Williams producing a no-look 180 and injecting personality into proceedings from the outset.

“Obviously the first 180 – they’ll say it’s not a blind one – but I chucked it without looking,” he smiled. “Just trying to get in the game. It was a tough game from Paolo Nebrida, a great player, but I had to do something to win that, and I did enough, I think.”

Despite the defeat, Williams was quick to praise his opponent, who pushed him all the way and matched him statistically for long periods of the contest. “After 2–0, I think the averages were exactly the same. I’m looking over on the board there, it’s 99 – I’ll take that,” Williams said. “I’ll take that after having dartitis apparently two months ago. He was so good and so steady. What he did wrong was he had two or three visits in the middle of a couple of games where he couldn’t hit a treble, and I just carried on banging the treble. So fair play to him, respect to him, all the best on the way home. He’ll probably be back next year, no doubt, but I’m here to win games and win money – that’s all I’m here for.”

As so often at Ally Pally, Williams appeared to thrive on the atmosphere, feeding off the crowd and leaning fully into his entertainer persona. "It’s just the crowd,” he explained. “It’s getting involved with the crowd, being a bit of a joker, a bit of a clown, a bit of an idiot – that’s pretty much me. If I can get involved with people and people enjoy what I do and all the stupid stuff I do up there, then I’m going to get people on my side.”

That approach, he admitted, was deliberate, particularly against an opponent whose tempo required adjustment. "That was the plan for today, especially with the speed of his game,” Williams said. “He’s not started his throw routine until I’ve walked past him at the oche. What am I going to do? But it seemed to work all right.”

Attention now turns to a second-round clash against either Jermaine Wattimena or Dominik Gruellich, a contrast in styles that Williams is already factoring into his preparation. "The next game is the complete opposite,” he said. “They’re not the slowest of players, so I’ve got to decide what I’m going to do in between now and then.”

One major positive to take from the opening-round performance was Williams’ finishing, which proved decisive at key moments. "My doubles were great,” he said. “I don’t know percentages or numbers, but I think I missed one or two darts. I felt good and I’m hoping to take that into next week.”

Preparation, he revealed, has been intense in the days leading up to the Worlds, with practice sessions alongside fellow professional Justin Hood reinforcing his confidence. "Practising in the back room with Justin Hood, you could tell we were both ready,” Williams said. “I’m pleased for him. I’m obviously really pleased. I’m not bothered about anyone else really – it’s all about me – but yeah, I’m pleased.”

Williams also reflected on the broader context of his year, admitting it has been a turbulent period both on and off the oche. “The preparation has been completely different,” he said. “I’ve moved house recently. There’s been stuff going on with my family. My son’s been in hospital – I won’t go into detail, and he’s fine by the way – but there’s just been so much going on.”

That personal strain was compounded by the pressure of defending £100,000 in ranking money, though Williams insists his mindset remains unchanged. "I’m not really bothered,” he said. “I just love being part of this game and being here.”

The smile, he added, is finally back. “I can feel it out there,” Williams said. “Honestly, it was tough. Because I knew he wasn’t going to be the quickest of players, I had to do something. I changed the way I approached the oche, the way I got the darts and walked away. Respect to him – he appreciated what happened up there.”

Mentally, the victory marked another important step forward following his well-documented struggles with dartitis earlier in the year. “When you have a blip or a yip, so many people pick it up,” he said. “The worst thing was I had it for a month before that video with me and Ryan Joyce, but no one saw it. Then it’s out there and people are treating it like it’s cancer. I’m fine. I’m going to get over it. The more you talk about it, the more you ingrain it in your head. So I’ve gone the last six or eight weeks telling myself I haven’t got it, pushing through, and it showed up there. I’m mentally strong enough to push through it.”

Looking ahead, Williams remains realistic about the challenges still to come, but is relishing the opportunity to perform once more on darts’ biggest stage. “Every game is completely different,” he said. “Different rhythm, different opponent. There’s no experience to take from it. You just hope you’re better than them on the day.”

For now, though, Williams is content to savour a performance that blended scoring power, clinical finishing and trademark theatre. “I practised brilliantly the last few days,” he added. “In my head I deserved to win because I was the best player, and it turns out I was. I’m just really happy to get past the game against Paolo Nebrida. Massive respect to him.”