The Slovak Darts Open will take place between 19-21 June, 2026 and is the ninth of fifteen European Tour events held on the 2026 PDC ProTour.
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It is also an event that has never been played with the tournament taking place in Slovakia for the first time in the city of Bratislava at Incheba.
The field will feature 48 players as well as £230,000 in prize money with £35,000 going to the winner. Gian van Veen, Michael van Gerwen, Jonny Clayton and Gerwyn Price are among the top names involved.
Luke Humphries and Luke Littler decided to snub the tournament. They play the World Cup of Darts but Humphries admitted on X when criticised that going straight to New York was too much of a logistical nightmare and he believed that Littler would've also have played if it was better placed.
PREVIEW Sunday Slovak Darts Open 2026
Eight men remain in contention for the first ever Slovak Darts Open title in Bratislava. In the opening match of the finals session, Rob Cross and Nathan Aspinall will battle for a place in the semi-finals. After that, it is the turn of tournament surprise Tom Sykes, who has already sent Martin Schindler and Cameron Menzies home. He will now try to continue his run against Jermaine Wattimena.
The third match of the evening is another all-English clash, with Andrew Gilding taking on Ross Smith. Mike De Decker and Wessel Nijman will then decide who becomes the final semi-finalist. The semi-finals and final will be played later in the evening.
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Schedule Slovak Darts Open 2026
Friday June 19
Afternoon Session
Round One - 1300 local time, 1200 BST
| Justin Hood | (84.57) 5-6 (84.62) | Benjamin Pratnemer | R1 |
| Karel Sedlacek | (93.74) 2-6 (103.3) | Tyler Thorpe | R1 |
| Andrew Gilding | (91.5) 6-4 (90.51) | Mervyn King | R1 |
| Kevin Doets | (102.49) 6-3 (90.94) | Owen Bates | R1 |
| Niels Zonneveld | (80.01) 6-1 (68.91) | Jan Sliacky | R1 |
| William O'Connor | (90.36) 6-3 (88.91) | Jeffrey de Graaf | R1 |
| Ryan Joyce | (88.49) 6-3 (89) | Johan Engstrom | R1 |
| Dave Chisnall | (88.85) 6-5 (74.88) | Adrian Dudek | R1 |
Friday June 19
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Evening Session
Round One - 1900 local time, 1800 BST
| Dirk van Duijvenbode | (93.18) 4-6 (90.83) | Madars Razma | R1 |
| Kim Huybrechts | (95.75) 6-4 (86.14) | Keane Barry | R1 |
| Rob Cross | (82.99) 6-3 (78.17) | Juraj Holub | R1 |
| Daryl Gurney | (89.33) 1-6 (96.31) | Jim Long | R1 |
| Niko Springer | (94.13) 2-6 (103) | Tom Sykes | R1 |
| Cameron Menzies | (78.74) 6-1 (70.70) | Gabriel Varaljay | R1 |
| Joe Cullen | (92.83) 6-3 (86.64) | Peter Kelemen | R1 |
| Krzysztof Ratajski | (94.32) 6-2 (91.01) | Cristo Reyes | R1 |
Saturday June 20
Afternoon Session
Round Two - 1300 local time, 1200 BST
| Mike De Decker | (107.14) 6-2 (86.18) | William O'Connor | R2 |
| Damon Heta | (89.21) 2-6 (95.10) | Kevin Doets | R2 |
| Wessel Nijman | (91.45) 6-2 (88.55) | Benjamin Pratnemer | R2 |
| Danny Noppert | (81.45) 6-2 (79.30) | Madars Razma | R2 |
| Jermaine Wattimena | (93.46) 6-3 (88.81) | Dave Chisnall | R2 |
| Chris Dobey | (90.75) 6-4 (91.78) | Tyler Thorpe | R2 |
| Ryan Searle | (89.78) 6-3 (83.21) | Kim Huybrechts | R2 |
| Luke Woodhouse | (85.33) 4-6 (94.14) | Andrew Gilding | R2 |
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Saturday June 20
Evening Session
Round Two - 1900 local time, 1800 BST
| Nathan Aspinall | (90.99) 6-4 (87.06) | Jim Long | R2 |
| Martin Schindler | (90.73) 5-6 (94.60) | Tom Sykes | R2 |
| Gerwyn Price | (96.74) 2-6 (106) | Cameron Menzies | R2 |
| Gian van Veen | (93.68) 3-6 (98.36) | Rob Cross | R2 |
| Michael van Gerwen | (92.52) 6-5 (86.18) | Krzysztof Ratajski | R2 |
| Jonny Clayton | (94.66) 5-6 (95.41) | Ryan Joyce | R2 |
| Stephen Bunting | (96.35) 6-5 (98.53) | Niels Zonneveld | R2 |
| Ross Smith | (92.03) 6-5 (96.63) | Joe Cullen | R2 |
Sunday June 21
Afternoon Session
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Round Three - 1300 local time, 1200 BST
| Rob Cross | (95.3)6-5 (96.91) | Kevin Doets |
| Ryan Searle | (99.65) 0-6(108. | Nathan Aspinall |
| Cameron Menzies | (90.34) 4-6 (94.71) | Tom Sykes |
| Danny Noppert | (93.07) 5-6 (90.25) | Jermaine Wattimena |
| Michael van Gerwen | (98.16) 4-6 (103.51) | Andrew Gilding |
| Chris Dobey | (92.89) 4-6 (104.57) | Ross Smith |
| Ryan Joyce | (90.36) 5-6 (93.07) | Mike de Decker |
| Stephen Bunting | (93.73) 1-6 (98.88) | Wessel Nijman |
Sunday June 21
Evening Session
1900 local time, 1800 BST
| Rob Cross | (102.75) 6-2 (96.22) | Nathan Aspinall | Quarter-final |
| Tom Sykes | (89.28) 6-2 (84.35) | Jermaine Wattimena | Quarter-final |
| Andrew Gilding | (82.79) 4-6 (88.71) | Ross Smith | Quarter-final |
| Mike De Decker | (97.56) 3-6 (104.50) | Wessel Nijman | Quarter-final |
| Rob Cross | (98.13) 7-2 (90.72) | Tom Sykes | Semi-final |
| Ross Smith | (96.73) 6-7 (98.63) | Wessel Nijman | Semi-final |
| Rob Cross | (102.57) 3-8 (103.80) | Wessel Nijman | Final |
Field Slovak Darts Open 2026
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Seeded Players
| Seed | Player | Nation |
| 1 | Gian van Veen | Netherlands |
| 2 | Michael van Gerwen | Netherlands |
| 3 | Jonny Clayton | Wales |
| 4 | James Wade | England |
| 5 | Gerwyn Price | Wales |
| 6 | Danny Noppert | Netherlands |
| 7 | Stephen Bunting | England |
| 8 | Gary Anderson | Scotland |
| 9 | Chris Dobey | England |
| 10 | Ryan Searle | England |
| 11 | Nathan Aspinall | England |
| 12 | Ross Smith | England |
| 13 | Wessel Nijman | Netherlands |
| 14 | Jermaine Wattimena | Netherlands |
| 15 | Martin Schindler | Germany |
| 16 | Mike De Decker | Belgium |
PDC Pro Tour Order of Merit Qualifiers
| Player | Nation |
| Kevin Doets | Netherlands |
| Luke Woodhouse | England |
| Niko Springer | Germany |
| Damon Heta | Australia |
| Dirk van Duijvenbode | Netherlands |
| Krzysztof Ratajski | Poland |
| Niels Zonneveld | Netherlands |
| Daryl Gurney | Northern Ireland |
| William O'Connor | Republic of Ireland |
| Andrew Gilding | England |
| Joe Cullen | England |
| Cameron Menzies | Scotland |
| Ryan Joyce | England |
| Karel Sedláček | Czech Republic |
| Rob Cross | England |
| Kim Huybrechts | Belgium |
Tour Card Qualifiers
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| Player | Nation |
| Mervyn King | England |
| Owen Bates | England |
| Benjamin Pratnemer | Slovenia |
| Jim Long | Canada |
| Keane Barry | Republic of Ireland |
| Tyler Thorpe | England |
| Justin Hood | England |
| Tom Sykes | England |
| Jeffrey de Graaf | Sweden |
| Cristo Reyes | Spain |
Host Nation Qualifiers
| Player | Nation |
| TBC | Slovakia |
| TBC | Slovakia |
| TBC | Slovakia |
| TBC | Slovakia |
Nordic & Baltic Qualifier
| Player | Nation |
| Johan Engström | Sweden |
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East European Qualifier
| Player | Nation |
| Péter Kelemen | Hungary |
Format Slovak Darts Open 2026
| Round | Match Format | Legs Needed to Win |
| First Round | Best of 11 legs | First to 6 |
| Second Round | Best of 11 legs | First to 6 |
| Third Round | Best of 11 legs | First to 6 |
| Quarter-Finals | Best of 11 legs | First to 6 |
| Semi-Finals | Best of 13 legs | First to 7 |
| Final | Best of 15 legs | First to 8 |
Predictions Slovak Darts Open 2026
Samuel Gill, Head Editor for DartsNews.com sees Gerwyn Price winning the title and kicking off a run.
Gerwyn Price showed confidence on social media after losing early on the ProTour, but believes it could be the start of something and he will hope it begins this week.
Price for me is a good shout for the title but it is semi up in the air as I see any of the 16 winning it. From Woodhouse again to Schindler to Nijman to even Ross Smith.
Never count Nathan Aspinall out either, refreshed after a stag do or recovering from a hangover he has form for good European Tour runs. While of course Van Veen, MVG and Clayton are ones to watch.
No Luke's or no Gary Anderson but what's new and it often lends itself to shocks, surprises and a hard to call run in.
*** Gerwyn Price
** Gian van Veen, Michael van Gerwen
* Jonny Clayton, Nathan Aspinall, Luke Woodhouse
Pieter Verbeek, Editor for DartsNieuws.com sees it as a great opportunity for Michael van Gerwen to win the title after his great recent form.
This weekend looks like a perfect opportunity for Michael van Gerwen to claim another Euro Tour title. It has now been well over a year since the Dutchman last lifted a trophy on the European circuit. With the world number one and world number two absent from the field, the draw appears more open than usual. On top of that, Van Gerwen has shown encouraging form in recent weeks. He captured the World Series event in Copenhagen and also made a strong impression during the World Cup of Darts.
The same can be said for Jonny Clayton, who has enjoyed a solid season so far. However, aside from a number of nightly victories in the Premier League Darts, that form has yet to translate into a major title for “The Ferret” in 2026. Perhaps Bratislava could be the place where that changes.
Can Clayton strike while the irons hot?
Another player who cannot be ignored among the favourites is Wessel Nijman. The Dutchman has already won seven ranking titles this season, including a Euro Tour crown. He added another trophy to his collection last week by claiming victory at Players Championship 21.
Gerwyn Price is also making a return to Euro Tour action. “The Iceman” has played only two of the eight Euro Tour events held so far this season, but he reached the final on both occasions. At the European Darts Grand Prix, Price went one step further and secured the title.
My other dark horses for the weekend are Ross Smith and Stephen Bunting, two players who have demonstrated impressive consistency throughout the year and continue to produce strong performances on a regular basis.
*** Michael van Gerwen
** Jonny Clayton, Wessel Nijman
* Gerwyn Price, Ross Smith, Stephen Bunting
Oliver Ried, Editor for DartsNews.DE sees Jonny Clayton winning the title.
The Slovak Darts Open is a tournament I’m really looking forward to, as it marks the very first edition of the event. Although there have been a few withdrawals once again, plenty of top players are still in the field. In my opinion, Jonny Clayton will claim yet another European Tour title. The Welshman has now put the Premier League grind behind him and also impressed with a strong performance at the World Cup. With his finishing ability and improved scoring power, I believe The Ferret will lift the trophy.
Among the other favourites is, of course, Wessel Nijman once again. The Dutchman added another Players Championship title this week and seems to have timed his recent break perfectly. Ross Smith also deserves plenty of attention. He produced some excellent performances during the week and will be eager to secure his next European Tour title.
Rob Cross cannot be overlooked after his success yesterday either. He appears to have coped well with his separation from his wife and claimed his first title in 18 months. A new country often means a new target for Michael van Gerwen. While he has won titles all over the world, he has never lifted a trophy in Slovakia. Despite a difficult draw, he will be determined to change that.
I still have major question marks over Nathan Aspinall and Gerwyn Price. Both players have had very little match practice recently, something that, in my view, usually benefits them. It will be interesting to see what they can produce this weekend.
In the second round, we could see an all-German clash between Martin Schindler and Niko Springer. Whoever comes out on top in that match could make a deep run in the tournament, provided Tom Sykes does not end up beating both of them.
***Jonny Clayton
**Wessel Nijman, Ross Smith
*Rob Cross, Michael van Gerwen
When is the draw confirmed for Slovak Darts Open?
The draw will be confirmed the day before the tournament begins on 18 June 2026 at around 12pm BST.
When is the schedule confirmed for Slovak Darts Open 2026?
The schedule will be confirmed for the Slovak Darts Open at the same time as the draw but it usually follows the same format of being the top names on the Saturday with the ProTour qualifiers facing the qualifiers on the Friday.
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.
In his current role, Samuel works closely with editors and writers to ensure content meets clear journalistic standards, with a focus on source verification, editorial consistency, and timely updates when new, confirmed information becomes available.
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- And why should he listen to you?Deduce635807-11-2026
- Ultimately it is a bye for whoever draws Barney. It will be another stroppy and sulky performance once he goes behind. Barney was excellent but really must completely call it a day now.richieburnettrocks07-11-2026
- I'm disappointed he was not able to secure a spot at the Grand Slam. With Carl Sneyd taking care of Daryl Gurney, he would have had to beat Andy Boulton before facing the winner of Sneyd vs Mensur Suljović for a Grand Slam spot. Unfortunately, after beating Filip Bereza comfortably, he succumbed to Boulton, and the board would ultimately be won by the highly inconsistent Carl Sneyd. Since he could instead have been drawn against the likes of Cristo Reyes, Dirk van Duijvenbode and Stephen Bunting, I think once Gurney was out of the picture he would have been favourite to win his board, and it seems like a massive missed opportunity to put 5 grand on his ranking and seal another major TV appearance ahead of the Worlds. The highs and lows of following Raymond van Barneveld!Deduce635806-11-2026
- Probably i will receive a lot of backlash and hate for this reaction, but well, so be it. I am more than sick and tired of those lies of you Barry Hearn. How dare you defend yourself over the back of Fallon’s son! He has a disability and not an illness, so let me correct that for you! I know because I have the exact same disability. I have tried to reach out to Fallon in the past, and offered her to help her and her son, because I was struggling with the same problems, and I understood the boy. I wanted him to have finally someone who understood him. However she told me that she did not want my help, and I have respected Fallon’s choice. I have never asked Fallon for money. They don’t need money in that case. I only ever wanted the best for Fallon and Rory, but I have to be honest about the situation. Fallon should tell the true story and not be forced to tell lies. I don’t hate Fallon, and I don’t begrudge or envy a single penny that she gets, but this situation/case is just not fair. I hate the lies and the dishonesty and injustice. I don’t want Fallon to be hated because there is an unfair disadvantage created. Don’t proclaim your false lies over the back of Rory! I only stand for integrity and justice. I am precisely the one who always sticks up for Fallon. And you don't, you don't give a damn about them. You were never there for them, and now you only want to save your own position! You are just trying to talk your way out of your own bad behavior at the expense of someone with a disability. And to Fallon, I don’t know if this may ever reach you, and you read it, but I want you to know I love you and I love your son Rory very much, I am sorry how things developed and went. I hope you and Harriet are still friends. I am sorry if I were too persistent to you, or you experienced it that way, but it was never my intention. Please understand I have autism as well. As Barry Hearn would say, I am only just a human being too, and I also make mistakes and misjudge things sometimes. I promise you I did everything out of the deepest love and care for you and Rory. If I were you, I should just keep all the money, only please never be dishonest or tell lies anymore for Barry Hearn, or anyone else. I hope you have the best life, and I wish nothing more than the best for you. I have always loved the two of you. Farewell.Hiddo05-11-2026
- She is a professional. If darts is her income, she is a professional. Same as Adrian Lewis, Martin Adams. A tour card just means someone can play on the PDC tour. You could even make a case that Clayton wasn't a professional (until recently I believe) because he had employment elsewhere.BandB04-11-2026
- She's technically not a professional though as she doesn't hold a pro tour card.mr-pablo04-11-2026
- Such a shame that lakeside has been reduced to this. Fantastic venue,and previously a great tournament. Not any morerick6703-11-2026
- Seems to me that the top 16 players pick and choose whatever they want to play. Good,all the money will get spread out more. They get more money from exhibitions than tournaments so let them all withdrawrick6703-11-2026
- Play all legs and the winners split the pot. Luke gets the lot of he wins them all. If your occupation is darts player you can't enter, regardless of ability.BandB01-11-2026
- I'm quite a jaded person all things considered, but to be honest I found Beat Luke Littler to be pretty entertaining. It certainly wasn't seamless, which is to be expected given the lack of precedence, but I actually think the pacing was pretty good, the production was impressive, and there was a good sense of humour and levity to it. I think it was a very ambitious undertaking but one that, for the most part, paid off. I liked the system with the four pots and I think it added to the drama and intrigue. I enjoyed seeing the diverse range of entrants and learning about their backstories. I think the interactivity was pretty clever and well-integrated. The panel was a little incoherent at times; Lee Mack shone however, and his improvisational skills were appreciated during some more awkward interstitial moments. As far as the darts is concerned, it was a shame that the format didn't allow Littler to get into full flow. You obviously don't want him to steamroll everyone but you want to feel like you're getting the full Littler package rather than seeing him struggling to get out of first gear. I will say that his leg against Jayden Walker was very impressive, but it was mostly downhill from there. The attraction revolves around Littler being this untouchable, indomitable force, yet the format doesn't really allow him to fulfil that characterisation. As for Fallon Sherrock, she was mightily impressive and deserved the victory. It is a testament to her unshakeable character that she was able to bang in a 14-darter under such mind-bending pressure. Everything that has been said about the misleading marketing is valid, though they were clear about their eligibility criteria and were able to offload the responsibility somewhat by bringing the viewers into the decision-making process in real time. What is clear though, is that Fallon played the game according to the rules, and she should not be criticised for that, much less abused. I will admit though that it is a kick in the teeth for those true amateurs who committed time and money to the course, and I would also question those who think pub players would have no chance, given that some of Littler's winning legs were dispatched in 7 visits to the board! The great thing about darts is that it isn't so much that amateurs cannot replicate the feats of brilliance pulled off by professionals of the sport, than it is that they simply cannot replicate the consistency of their output, something that this format almost entirely removes from the equation. It should also be noted that, financially, Fallon certainly stands to benefit much less in relative terms from the paycheque than would your average pub thrower, as I'm sure she nets a fair income from the lucrative exhibition circuit alone. What I do hope is that she might use this as an opportunity to really build up a head of steam heading into the new season, as it seems long overdue that she come through Q-School and really take it to the pros on a week-in week-out basis, but whatever she chooses to do, she has certainly achieved enough already for one if not several lifetimes, so who am I to dictate terms? To conclude though, I will state once again that I found Beat Luke Littler to be a pretty enjoyable evening of entertainment. I do feel for the contestants who never actually had the chance to try their luck against the world #1, although I suppose it comes with the format, but all which inevitably raises the question: will Netflix be tempted to do it all again next year? It's hard to say. Whether it would be financially viable, I can't weigh in there. One point I have been making though, and which I touched on earlier, is that the entire concept relies on a public perception that Littler is more or less unbeatable, and that certainly hasn't been the case of late. If the execs had been trying to pitch the show in recent months while Littler has seemed vulnerable, rather than when he was mopping up almost every major title on the calendar, it would certainly be a tougher sell. We will have to see in about 6 months' time whether Littler can still reliably command perception as a near-unstoppable force in darts, and then we'll have a clearer idea about whether we should expect a second helping. Even as a one-off experiment though, and with all the controversy taken into account, I still don't think they disgraced themselves by any means, and that will probably be my lingering assessment of the event when all is said and done.Deduce635801-11-2026