"People wishing me dead, hoping I’d get some awful disease - every player gets it": Mike De Decker opens up about online hate received

Mike De Decker’s title defence began with more tension than comfort, but the Belgian ultimately did what’s expected of a reigning champion — win. In his World Grand Prix opener in Leicester, he edged past two-time world champion Peter Wright 2–1 in sets, surviving an early scare before finding his rhythm. Afterwards, De Decker spoke to Dartsnews.com.

“It was a shaky start,” De Decker admitted in his post-match press conference. “After the first break I got going, played well in the second and third sets, and got the job done.”

The defending champion had looked tight early on and didn’t hide it. “It took me a while to find my rhythm. I felt the pressure of defending my title — that’s new for me, and honestly, I was really nervous.”

Those nerves had kicked in hours before he even took to the stage. “I was here five hours early just to relax,” he said. “But when they told me I had two minutes before walking on, the nerves hit again. Then you’ve got people shouting, asking for photos and autographs — it’s amazing, but intense too.”

De Decker was candid about the difference between being the hunter and the hunted. “Last year in the final, nobody outside Belgium expected me to win. This time, people expect me to. That’s a completely different kind of pressure. Today I stood up there feeling like I had to win — and that makes it harder.”

He spoke respectfully but frankly about his opponent. “You can see Peter’s having a tough time. He started well, but when you put him under pressure lately, he struggles. It’s not nice to see someone with his record finding it so difficult, but that’s darts — you’ve got to take your chances.”

One of the night’s most memorable moments came before a dart was thrown, as De Decker once again received a raucous reception during his walk-on. His now-famous entrance track has become a crowd favourite in Leicester.

“Everyone knows the song — I think every single person in the room was singing it,” he smiled. “That’s what you want from a walk-on. It hasn’t changed since last year, the reception’s always brilliant.”

But he admitted that such adoration isn’t always relaxing. “Sometimes it helps me settle, but other times it makes me more nervous — especially at the European Tours in places like Antwerp and Riesa. Everyone’s for you, and that gives you energy, but it’s also pressure.”

The Belgian spoke openly about the darker side of life as a professional darts player, admitting that social media abuse has taken its toll. After Belgium’s early exit from the World Cup of Darts alongside Dimitri Van den Bergh, De Decker faced a wave of vitriol from fans back home.

“The hate I got after that made me realise I’m not playing for my country — I’m playing for myself,” he said bluntly. “It came from Belgian fans, even people I see every week. When you win, they’re all smiles — when you lose, they bury you. That changed me.”

He revealed how far some of the abuse had gone. “A few months ago I shared screenshots of messages I got after losing a first-round match on the ProTour. People were wishing me dead or hoping I’d get some awful disease. It’s ridiculous. And it’s not just me — every player gets it. That’s why now, I just play for myself. I don’t care about being Belgium’s number one anymore.”

De Decker added that the experience had helped him toughen mentally. “I’ve learned to handle expectations. Today I felt the pressure, but I managed to reset and focus. That’s growth.”

He declined to comment on compatriot Van den Bergh’s recent struggles. “That’s not up to me,” he said. “If you want to know, call him — I’m not going to talk about that.”

De Decker’s reward for beating Wright is a second-round showdown with Luke Littler, the teenage sensation who continues to dominate the sport.

“I saw his match,” De Decker said with a grin. “I just hope he doesn’t play like that against me. Because when he’s at that level, it’s hard for anyone to beat him. I’m not going to sit here and say ‘well done’ — I just hope he saves that performance for someone else.”

Despite the tension of the night, De Decker took a moment to reflect on how far he’s come. “When they announced me as the reigning champion, it gave me goosebumps,” he said. “Two or three thousand people singing your name — that’s unbelievable. It motivates me to do it all again.”

The 29-year-old knows there’s plenty of work to do if he’s to repeat last year’s heroics. “Hopefully I can start better in the next game than I did today. If I play to my level, like last year, there’s a lot possible. But it’s darts — anything can happen.”