“Sometimes it’s hard to be away from the family so much” – Candid Dirk van Duijvenbode on the eve of his World Matchplay opener

For Dirk van Duijvenbode, Sunday afternoon already marks his fifth appearance at the World Matchplay. The Dutchman faces Chris Dobey in the first round, but in the run-up to the prestigious tournament in Blackpool, ‘Aubergenius’ also showed another side of life as a professional darts player on social media.

Van Duijvenbode is one of eight Dutch entrants at the World Matchplay and, despite a difficult first half of the season, once again secured his place at the tournament in the iconic Winter Gardens. Still, the life of a professional darter is about much more than playing matches on big stages.

While it may seem to outsiders that darters mostly travel the world and appear on television regularly, the reality is far more demanding. The PDC calendar is packed almost all year round. In addition to the major TV tournaments, such as the World Matchplay, Grand Slam of Darts and the World Championship, there are Players Championship events or Euro Tours scheduled nearly every weekend.

That means a life full of travel for the players. Plane in, plane out, hotels, long drives, and hours waiting at airports are more the rule than the exception. Meanwhile, daily practice is essential to keep performing at the highest level. Especially for players from mainland Europe, who often have to travel to the United Kingdom, this takes a heavy toll on their private lives.

Van Duijvenbode feels that too. In a candid Instagram post, in which he shares several photos of his two children, the 34-year-old Dutchman explains how tough it can be to be away from home so often. “Sometimes it’s hard to be away from the family so much,” writes Van Duijvenbode. “But we make the best of it whenever we can.”

The personal message drew many warm responses from fans, who wished the Dutchman success for his World Matchplay campaign while also expressing their appreciation for his openness.

From a sporting perspective, Van Duijvenbode hopes to take another step forward in Blackpool. The season started far from ideal for the former UK Open finalist. Injuries and inconsistent results meant he struggled for a long time to find his best level.

Even so, Van Duijvenbode did enough to regroup and qualify for the World Matchplay via the PDC Order of Merit. That alone gave him confidence heading into the tournament. “It definitely wasn’t the best start to the year, but I still managed to qualify for this big event and I feel like my form is slowly returning,” Van Duijvenbode said ahead of the World Matchplay.

A tough challenge awaits right away in the first round. Chris Dobey has long been part of the PDC’s chasing pack and currently sits virtually 13th on the world rankings. Van Duijvenbode is currently in 26th place and will need to produce a strong performance to knock out the Englishman.

Yet the Dutchman knows from experience what it takes to go deep in Blackpool. With his fifth appearance, he now belongs to the more experienced players in the World Matchplay field. If his upward form truly continues, Van Duijvenbode hopes not only to enjoy a successful tournament on the oche, but also to return home quickly with a good feeling, where his family awaits him.